Anastasia: A Jewish Girl's Tale
by MagicMovieNerd
Summary: Anya's friend from the orphanage, Sellah Rosenberg, accompanies her on a "Journey to the Past" with two con men who believe that Anya is the lost Grand Duchess Anastasia. When it is revealed that Anya really is Anastasia, Sellah, who is Jewish, worries that her 10-year friendship with her will end, because the Russian royals despised Jews.
1. Chapter 1

**Russia, 1916**  
In a small village populated by Russian-Jewish people, we are given a close-up of a house that was filled with light, laughter, and music. This house belonged to the Rosenberg family, and they were celebrating the bar mitzvah of their middle child, Mottel. Inside, we see people singing _**Hava Nagila**_ and a little girl dancing; the girl had caramel brown hair, olive green eyes, and was wearing a white and yellow dress with white stockings and yellow shoes. Her name was Sellah, and she was the younger sister of Mottel and his older brother, Fyvush. When everyone finished singing, Sellah stopped dancing and happily bowed as everyone clapped for her. "That was pretty good, sister!" Mottel laughed, "But it seems like you're getting more attention than I am. After all, today is my special day!"  
Sellah just made a smirk and giggled, "I know, Mottel! That's why I was feeling a little jealous!"  
Sellah's mother, Hodel, came over to her daughter to embrace her and said, "Now, Sellah, you know that bar mitzvahs are very important days. It's okay to be merry when your brother is becoming a man, but you shouldn't get too carried away!"  
"Your mother is right," commented Yehudah, the father of the Rosenberg children, "You'll have your bat mitzvah soon enough, little Sellah. In the meantime, you can go entertain your other brother, no?"

Sellah smiled at her father before she happily skipped over to Fyvush. The eldest Rosenberg son was working on a few card shuffling tricks, because he wanted to be a magician someday. "Fyvush!" Sellah exclaimed when she came over to her brother.  
Fyvush dropped his cards all over the table he was at and floor as he said with annoyance, "Sellah! Look what you made me do!"  
"Sorry, big brother," said Sellah, "But Papa was wondering if you'd like some entertainment from me."  
Fyvush's expression softened as he said, "Sellah, I'd like another dance, but I've seen enough relatives and friends performing for Mottel today, that I'm practically worn out! Maybe you could read me a story from our good book instead?"  
Sellah's face lit up as she went over to a bookshelf grab a book with stories from the Old Testament. The little girl always enjoyed listening to and reading stories about people receiving help from God, whether it was Jonah inside the whale, Moses freeing his people from slavery in Egypt, or Queen Esther saving her people from being slaughtered. While reaching for the book, Sellah noticed a little yellow light outside her window. "Mama, Papa!" she gasped with fear, "Look!"  
Yehudah and Hodel ran over and were horrified by what they saw outside. "The Cossacks are coming!" Yehudah cried, "Children! We must turn out all the lights and make sure no one sees us!" Fyvush, Mottel, and Sellah hurried about the house, turning off every light and blowing out every candle they could find.

Now during this time period, Jewish people were feared and despised by the czars of Russia; not only did they worship differently than Russian Orthodox people, but they also only spoke Yiddish instead of Russian. Sellah and her brothers often heard news of other Jewish people being prosecuted, evicted from their homes, and even killed in villages that were miles away from the Rosenbergs' village. But Sellah never thought that the czar's bodyguards would ever come to her village, even though her family and friends took no chances whenever they could to protect themselves. After every light was put out, Sellah and her family huddled together in a corner of the living room to hide. The young girl covered her ears to cancel out the noises coming from outside: people running away from their burning homes and screaming. Just then, a rock came crashing through a window in the Rosenberg house, and then a flaming torch was tossed into the living room! Everyone screamed and got up on their feet before they ran towards the front door; they were horrified to find that it was blocked, and they couldn't get out! "We'll have to go out one of the windows!" Yehudah said before he pointed to a different window.  
"Come on!" Fyvush told Mottel and Sellah as they ran towards the window; Hodel and Yehudah tried catching up, but a burning beam fell onto the ground, inches away from the mother and father!  
"Fyvush, save yourself and your siblings!" Hodel cried, "Your father and I will manage our way out soon!"  
Fyvush gave one last glance to his parents before he opened up the window with all his might, and then jumped out. He then called for the terrified Mottel to jump out next; Mottel did as he was told, and then Sellah nervously and fearfully followed her brother. And she did it in the nick of time, because another burning beam collapsed right in front of the open window. "Mama! Papa!" Sellah cried out. There came no reply; Fyvush and Mottel took their sister away to hide from the Cossacks in a nearby forest.

Several minutes later, after the Cossacks left the village, the Rosenberg children came out of hiding and tried to find their parents from the burnt remains of their house. While looking through the wreckage, the children were shocked and horrified to find the burnt bodies of their parents; little Sellah began crying as she ran over to hug her brothers. All Fyvush and Mottel could do was cry along with their sister. After several minutes of crying, Fyvush said with a lump in his throat, "That's it. We're going to America. There, no one will hurt us again."  
"Then we need to find all our savings," said Mottel, "I just hope they didn't burn along with Mama and Papa."  
All night long, the Rosenberg children searched all across the ruins of their house until they found the rest of their family's rubles; hopefully they would have enough money to pay for three people's passage to America. When the brothers counted things out, though, they became very discouraged. "I'm sorry," Fyvush sighed sadly, "But there just isn't enough for three people, only two. One of us is gonna have to stay behind."  
Mottel's eyes became moist as he begged his brother, "Please, let me stay behind! I can go to St. Petersburg and get a job to help pay for my passage!"  
Fyvush shook his head sadly and said, "No, Mottel. For one thing, you're only thirteen. And another thing is, if anyone in St. Petersburg, or Moscow, or anywhere else found out you were Jewish, they'd kill you or put you in prison! I think it would be best to take Sellah to an orphanage, and we'll write letters to her, and send her money…"  
"WHAT?!" Sellah screamed with shock and sadness, "You can't be serious, Fyvush! You should stay in Russia! You're the oldest – you can get a job to pay for my passage, and then Mottel could watch over me in America!" Sellah buried her face into Fyvush's shirt and sobbed tears of betrayal and sadness.

Fyvush put his hand onto Sellah's head and said with sympathy, "Sellah, I know it's hard. But I would rather have a grown-up take care of you instead of a teenage boy like me. I'm only sixteen, you know. Besides, as soon as Mottel and I get our new addresses in America, we will write letters to you every day, and you could right back!"  
"Really?" Sellah sniffed; her brother's words only gave her a little bit of comfort.  
"Yes," said Mottel, "You'll always be in our hearts, no matter what." With that, Mottel took a deep breath and sang:

_Come stop your crying, it'll be alright_  
_Just take my hand, hold it tight_  
_We will protect you from all around you_  
_We will be here, don't you cry._

Fyvush pointed his finger at Sellah's chest and said, "We'll be right here in your heart, and you can think about us whenever you feel lonely." Sellah gave a sad and small smile as Fyvush sang:

_For one so small, you seem so strong_  
_Our arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm_  
_This bond between us can't be broken_  
_We will be here, don't you cry_

Sellah hugged her eldest brother tightly as Mottel said, "Yeah, and we'll keep you in our hearts when we feel lonely, too." He and Fyvush then sang together:

_Cause you'll be in our hearts_  
_Yes, you'll be in our hearts_  
_From this day on, now and forevermore_  
_You'll be in our hearts_  
_No matter what they say_  
_You'll be here in our hearts_  
_Always_  
_Always and always!_

Listening to her brothers sing made Sellah feel happier, even though she knew that they would be thousands of miles away for quite a while.

The next day, the Rosenberg children had packed up all the things they had left, and the brothers had taken their sister to an orphanage on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. The brothers knocked on the main door, and a middle-aged woman known as Phlegmenkoff answered it. She coughed and inquired, "What is it you want?"  
Mottel and Fyvush looked at each other with uncertainty, but then Fyvush turned to Phlegmenkoff and said, "We lost our parents in a house fire last night. Mottel and I are going to go find better lives in America, but we have to leave our little sister behind, because we don't have enough money for two people."  
Phlegmenkoff seemed to show sympathy as she looked at Sellah and commented, "Oh, poor little dyevochka! Do you think she will join you later on in going to America?"  
"Yes," Mottel answered, "Once my brother and I reach America and find jobs, we'll send money to you to give to Sellah so that she may buy a ticket someday."  
"Well, don't you worry," Phlegmenkoff told the boys with a seemingly understanding smile, "The other orphans and I will take good care of your little one for the time being."  
Sellah looked at her brothers with misty eyes and whispered, "I'm gonna miss you guys."  
Mottel and Fyvush bent down to give their sister one last hug before they looked at her with sadness and said goodbye.

As soon as the brothers left to begin their long journey, Phlegmenkoff shoved Sellah into the door and frowned, "Alright! Your brothers are gone. Now you will stay with me and help me with chores – just like the other street rats and mice living here!"  
Sellah gasped when she saw the woman's mood and personality change right in front of her. "But why?" she asked.  
"From the moment you and your yarmulke-wearing brothers came here," Phlegmenkoff said with a grumpy look, "I knew that you were going to be nothing but trouble around here – all you Jews are the same. Street rats who beg for money, talk differently, and don't worship like the czar wants us to! Now go get that broom and start sweeping, Jewish girl!" Phlegmenkoff pointed to a broom in the corner, and Sellah reluctantly nodded and went over to the broom to begin sweeping.

All day long, poor Sellah worked hard at sweeping the floors, washing dishes, dusting furniture, and washing laundry. When nighttime came, Sellah got the dirtiest and tiniest room in the orphanage, because none of the other orphans wanted to associate with a Jewish girl. But early the next morning, things were about to change. Another orphan girl was brought to the orphanage. As all the other orphans (including Sellah) gathered to meet the new girl, Phlegmenkoff explained, "This little girl, who claims her name is Anna, was found unconscious at a railway station during a coup at the royal palace last night. Apparently, the Red Army is rising, and now the czar and his family have been murdered!" Everyone gasped when they heard that part before Phlegmenkoff continued, "But back on subject. Anya, here, will be staying with us until someone finds her and tries to get her memory back."  
"She must have amnesia," Sellah whispered to herself.  
Phlegmenkoff glared at her as she gave the orphan girl, whose name was clearly Anna or "Anya" as a nickname, a little shove and said, "Meet the others, girl! Let's go. Come on."  
Anya nervously stepped forward with misty eyes. Sellah felt sorry for her, and looked at her with sympathy and compassion. "I'm sorry this happened to you," Sellah whispered to her with a sad smile, "My name is Sellah Rosenberg. I can be your friend."  
Anya shed a tear and embraced Sellah with a hug. And that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship…

Author's Note: The song "You'll Be in My Heart" is from the movie Tarzan. ((c) Disney)


	2. Chapter 2

**Ten Years Later**

In 1926, Russia was now under communist rule, and during those ten years, Sellah and Anya had a horrible time staying at Phlegmenkoff's orphanage. Every day, the orphanage keeper would criticize Anya for talking about how she had no memory of her life before coming to the orphanage; Sellah, on the other hand, was continuously harassed for worshiping differently and for reading things in Yiddish instead of Russian. However, at the end of each day, Anya would come over to Sellah's room, and the two would share their stories about what they did all day until it was time for lights out.

Two months after arriving in America, Fyvush and Mottel stayed a few nights in New York City, and then they decided to go to Boston, Massachusetts to find a job and home. The two brothers always made sure to write to Sellah every single day, and even though it took many months for their letters to reach Russia, Sellah was always happy to read notes from her brothers; she often shared the news with Anya, who was happy for her friend. When money started to come in for Sellah's passage, however, Phlegmenkoff would take the Jewish girl's money and store it away, telling her that it would be best if the money was in her care until the time came; however, instead of taking care of Sellah's money and saving it, Phlegmenkoff would embezzle it on vodka, blinis, and cough medicine. Anya discovered that secret one day, and told a heartbroken Sellah all about it. "Don't worry, Sellah," Anya coaxed, "Because one of these days, I'm going to help you." This made Sellah feel a little bit better.

In the meantime, in St. Petersburg, people were much more miserable than ever, but only a little whispering of rumors kept their spirits up.

**Factory worker:** _St. Petersburg is gloomy!_  
**Woman:** _St. Petersburg is bleak!_  
**Freezing worker:** _(opens jacket) My underwear got frozen standing here all week!_  
**All:** _Oh, since the revolution_  
_Our lives have been so gray_  
_Thank goodness for the gossip_  
_That gets us through the day!_

In the streets, people danced around and sang about the latest rumor – that the Grand Duchess Anastasia had actually escaped the Russian Revolution and possibly was still alive!

**Citizens:** _Hey! Have you heard?_  
_There's a rumor in St. Petersburg_  
_Have you heard?_  
_What they're saying on the streets?_

At a newspaper stand people were discussing the rumor, only to have an officer scowl and glare when he heard the name of the Grand Duchess.

**Customer:** _Although the czar did not survive_  
_One daughter may be still alive!_  
**All:** _The princess Anastasia! (officer glares at them)_  
**Customer:** _But please do not repeat!_

Meanwhile, in a black market, people were selling things collected from the palace that may have been worth a lot of money. A fat man with dark hair and dressed in red, yellow, and black stood by, waiting for someone. As if on cue, a young man with auburn hair wearing a long trench coat appeared.

**Citizens:** _It's a rumor, a legend, a mystery!_  
_Something whispered in an alleyway_  
_Or through a crack!_  
_It's a rumor that's part of our history!_  
**Fortune Teller:** _(holding a snow globe) They say her royal grandmamma will pay a royal sum!_  
**Citizens:** _To someone who can bring the princess back!_

The young man in the trench coat whispered to the larger man, "Psst! Vlad!"  
"Oh, Dmitri!" the larger man, Vladimir, exclaimed softly, "I've got my part done!" Together, the two of them went into a building where people were selling things taken from the palace.

**Merchant:** _(shows painting) A ruble for this painting! It's Romanov, I swear!_  
**Woman:** _(showing pajamas) Count Yusopov's pajamas! Comrades, buy the pair!_  
**Man:** _(holds up fur hat) I got this from the palace! It's lined with real fur!_  
**Dmitri and Vladimir:** _It could be worth a fortune!_  
_If it belonged to her!_

Dmitri led Vladimir to a messy office upstairs, and Vladimir happily said, "Well, Dmitri, I got us a theater!"  
Dmitri gave a grin, knowing that everything was going as planned for him and his friend. "Everything's going according to plan," he said, "Now all we need is the girl!" He looked at Vladimir and said, "Just think, Vlad! No more forging papers, no more stolen goods! We'll have three tickets out of here – one for me, one for you, and one for Anastasia!" Excited, Dmitri started singing:

_It's a rumor, a legend, a mystery!_  
_It's the Princess Anastasia that will help us fly!_  
_You and I, friend, will go down in history!_  
_We'll find a girl to play the part_  
_Teach her what to say_  
_Dress her up and take her to Paris_  
_Just imagine the reward_  
_Her dear old grandmamma will pay!_  
_Who else could pull it off but you and me?_

The two men went out a window and climbed onto a snowy roof, happily dreaming about a big reward the empress would pay them if they found the right girl!

**Dmitri:** _We'll be rich!_  
**Vladimir:** _We'll be rich!_  
**Dmitri:** _We'll be out!_  
**Vladimir:** _We'll be out!_  
**Both:** _And St. Petersburg will have something to talk about!_

The two of them slid off the roof and down to the streets, while all the citizens kept whispering, talking, and singing about the rumor of the Grand Duchess.

**Citizens:** _Shhh! Have your heard?_  
_There's a rumor in St. Petersburg!_  
_Have you heard_  
_What they're saying on the streets?_  
_Hey!_  
_(mumbling and talking)_  
_Hey!_  
_(muttering and talking)_  
_Hey! Have you heard?_  
_There's a rumor in St. Petersburg!_  
_Have you heard?_  
**Man:** _Comrade, what do you suppose?_  
**Crowd:** _A fascinating mystery!_  
**Dmitri:** _The biggest con in history!_

As Dmitri and Vladimir left on a trolley to go to their theater, the citizens finished their musical number, "The Princess Anastasia – alive or dead?"  
"Who knows?" a man in the clock tower said before shushing the "audience." A flock of pigeons just flew away as the scene closed.


	3. Chapter 3

Meanwhile, at a certain orphanage, Phlegmenkoff was escorting two young women out the front door of her building. One of them was a familiar redhead wearing a green overcoat over a tattered brown dress, stockings, and worn boots, along with a dark blue hat, a purple scarf, mittens, and a necklace that read, "Together in Paris." The other girl was a certain caramel-haired on wearing a brown jacket over a tattered light brown dress with patches on the skirt, a white shirt underneath, stockings, and brown shoes, along with a jade green hat, a yellow scarf, gloves, and a necklace with a Star of David as the pendant.  
"I got you each of you a job at the fish factory," the crabby caretaker said as she escorted Sellah and Anya out the door, "All you do is go straight down that path, and when you get to the fork in the road, go left!"  
"Goodbye!" Anya called out to the other orphans inside the building.  
"Bye!" Sellah called out.  
"Are you young ladies listening?" Phlegmenkoff demanded.  
"Bye, everybody!" Anya called out before she and Sellah looked at the caretaker. The redhead gave a disgusted and bored look as she said, "We're listening, comrade Phlegmenkoff."  
Sellah just sighed as Phlegmenkoff took Anya by the scarf and grumbled as she led the two girls away, "Oh, Anya, you've been a thorn in my side since the day you got here, waltzing about and acting like the Queen of Sheba instead of the nameless, no-account you are!" Anya just kept waving goodbye as she and Sellah tried catching up to the caretaker. Phlegmenkoff looked at Sellah with disgust and continued, "And as for you, Jewish girl, you've been an even bigger thorn in my side, since I have to listen to your jibber-jabber language and read out-of-date Bible stories to your _podruga_, here! For the past ten years, I've fed you, I've clothed you, educated you, and…"  
"Kept a roof over our heads," Anya said over the caretaker with an uninterested tone.  
"Agreed, comrade," Sellah with a bored expression.

When they reached the gate, Phlegmenkoff questioned Anya, "Why is it that you don't have a clue as to who you are before you came to us, but you can remember all that?"  
Anya took out her necklace from under her coat and started, "I do have a clue…"  
"I know!" Phlegmenkoff grunted as she took a look at the necklace, "Together in Paris! So you want to go to France to find your family, huh?"  
"Mmm-hmmm," Anya replied with a nod.  
"Ha!" laughed Phlegmenkoff. She turned to Sellah and asked, "And what about you, little Jewish girl? You have any more hopes and dreams about your _brat'ya_ left?"  
"Of course!" Sellah scoffed as she remembered her older brothers in America, "I've been writing letters to them at every possible free moment I've had, and I've still got their letters in my coat pockets and my coat pockets! And how about my passage money?"  
Phlegmenkoff faked sympathy as she shook her head and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, my dear Sellah, but I must've lost the money somehow." She gave a smirk as she added, "I will admit, that I had wonderful nights of drinking vodka and eating blinis!"  
Sellah gasped with shock and anger, while Anya gave a disgusted look; both of them were angry that the caretaker had embezzled Sellah's passage money sent from her brothers on food and vodka.

Phlegmenkoff reached into her pocket, pulled out some crumpled money, and grumbled to Sellah, "I do have ten rubles to help you get by for food and such, though." Sellah reluctantly took the money and put it in her pocket, knowing that it wouldn't be enough for a passage to the United States. "Now, you and Little Miss Anya must learn it's time to take your places in life!" the caretaker told the two girls, "And be grateful, too!" As Anya and Sellah went through the gates, Phlegmenkoff laughed, "Together in Paris, and going to America!" Then the caretaker went back to the orphanage.

A few minutes later, Anya and Sellah were walking down the road as the caretaker told them. "I can't believe that klutz of a witch embezzled all my passage money!" Sellah grumbled with a frown.  
"Ha, ha, be grateful, Anya!" Anya said as she mimicked Phlegmenkoff. In her normal voice she said, "Sellah and I ARE grateful. Grateful to get away!"  
"Yeah," Sellah agreed with a smirk before she made a disappointed expression. "I guess the only way to see my brothers again is to work in a stinky fish factory," she muttered as she and Anya reached a signpost.  
"Go left, she says," Anya remembered, "Trouble is, I know what's to the left. I'll be Anya the orphan forever."  
"And I'll just be another Jewish waif stranded in a place where everyone hates you," Sellah said sadly, "Except you, Anya."  
Anya gave Sellah a small smile before thinking out loud, "But, if we go right, then maybe…" She looked at her necklace and wondered, "Whoever gave me this necklace must've really loved me."  
"I'm sure they loved you more than anything in the world," Sellah said with a sad smile. She looked at her own necklace and thought out loud, "I wonder how my brothers are doing in Boston?" She then looked at the sign, which said that St. Petersburg was to the right and began thinking.

Sellah's thoughts were interrupted when Anya scoffed, "But that's just crazy! Me? Go to Paris?"  
"Anya, what's going on?" Sellah asked as Anya took a seat on a log.  
"Oh, Sellah, I'm in a big pickle," Anya answered as Sellah sat next to her, "I can't decide if I should take my job at the factory or just go to St. Petersburg." Sellah looked at her with sympathy as Anya called out in air, "Send me a sign! A hint! Anything!"  
Just then, a little gray spaniel puppy appeared and saw Anya's long scarf. The puppy tugged at her scarf, getting the girls' attention. "Cute little guy!" Sellah giggled.  
"Hey!" Anya said when she saw the dog, "Hey, hey, hey!" The puppy looked at her, and the redhead said, "Look, my friend and I don't have time to play right now, okay? I'm waiting for a sign."  
"What are you talking about, Anya?" Sellah asked with a smug grin as the dog barked, "He just wants a little attention!"  
The dog barked again, and then tugged harder on Anya's scarf. "Hey!" the redhead cried as she grabbed the other end of her scarf, pulling away from the puppy, "Would you give me that?" Sellah giggled as Anya kept telling the dog, "Could… could you just leave me alone? Hey, give me that!" The puppy ignored her as he kept pulling on his end of the scarf. Anya became more stern as the puppy pulled on her scarf, and then put her to the ground on her abdomen.

Sellah giggled at the puppy taking away the scarf in its mouth and going onto the road to St. Petersburg. Anya cleared her throat with a frown, and then the Jewish girl went to help her friend up. "You okay, Anya?" Sellah asked as she helped Anya back on her feet.  
"I'm fine," Anya grumbled, "I'm just wondering why you didn't help me!"  
"That little dog is so funny!" Sellah laughed before calming down and clearing her throat. She looked at the perky dog and told Anya, "I think he wants you to go to the city."  
"Oh, great," Anya muttered, "A dog wants me to go to St. Petersburg. Okay…" She looked up at the sky, wondering about something.  
"I know it sounds crazy," said Sellah, "But maybe this dog is smarter than you think?"  
Anya looked down and smirked at her friend, who gave her a smug smile in return. "Hmmm," the redhead said, "I could take a hint."  
Sellah thought for a moment, and then said with a smile, "Okay, Anya. Maybe I'll come with you and find a way to earn extra money in either St. Petersburg or Paris?"  
"Paris, it is!" Anya softly told Sellah with a smile. As she looked down the path ahead of her, the redhead took the Jewish girl's hand and started singing:

_Heart don't fail me now_  
_Courage don't desert me_  
_Don't turn back now that we're here!_  
_People always say_  
_Life is full of choices_  
_No one ever mentions fear!_

Anya began to feel more hopeful and confident as she picked up the little dog in her arms, and then Sellah gave her a happy grin as they started their journey.

_Or how a world can seem so vast_  
_On a journey to the past!_

A troika of horses pulling a sleigh went past the girls as they happily walked and skipped through the snow as Anya kept singing:

_Somewhere down this road_  
_I know someone's waiting_  
_Years of dreams just can't be wrong_  
_Arms will open wide_  
_I'll feel safe and wanted_  
_Finally home where I belong!_  
_Well, starting now I'm learning fast_  
_On a journey to the past!_

The two friends and their new puppy walked by a hut where a family was working in the snow. The two children ran over to play with the puppy for a little while, and then Sellah indicated that it was time to go. Everyone waved goodbye as Anya kept singing:

_Home, love, family_  
_There was once a time I must've had them, too_  
_Home, love, family_  
_I will never be complete until I find you!_

Some squirrels and rabbits watched the girls and the dog happily walk through the forest and back onto the road to St. Petersburg. Sellah smiled brightly, thinking about her brothers in America, and Anya kept singing:

_One step at a time_  
_One hope, then another_  
_Who knows where this road may go?_  
_Back to who I was_  
_On to find my future_  
_Things my heart still needs to know_  
_Yes, let this be a sign_  
_Let this road be mine_  
_Let it lead me to my past_  
_And bring me home at last!_

Anya held the last note of her song as she, the dog, and Sellah stopped before the edge of a hill; a magnificent view of St. Petersburg lay before them!


	4. Chapter 4

Later on, Anya and Sellah were at the train station, ready to go to Paris. Anya went up to the ticket desk and said, "Two tickets to Paris, please."  
"Exit visa?" the salesman asked.  
"Exit visa?" Anya repeated.  
"No exit visa?" the salesman said before shouting, "NO TICKETS!" With that, he slammed his windows shut.  
Sellah held the gray puppy, who was now named Pooka by her and Anya, and walked over to her friend with a disappointed look. "No tickets, huh?"  
Anya just shook her head with disappointment. Just then, an old woman came up to them and whispered, "Psst! See Dmitri. He can help!"  
"Where can we find him?" Anya asked softly.  
"At the old palace," the woman answered, "But you two didn't hear it from me! Go, go, go!"  
"Hmmm… Dmitri?" Anya wondered aloud.  
"Do you think… he could… really help?" Sellah wondered to herself.

Meanwhile, in an old theater, Dmitri and Vladimir were sitting at a table in front of a large stage, looking for the perfect Anastasia imposter to win them money from the Empress. Lots of young women had showed up, eager to play the part; they also gave the two men their photos and resumes. The desk was covered completely with papers and photos, and Dmitri had been reading a very long list of names, searching for the right girl to play the part.  
"Nice, nice," the auburn-haired man muttered as he crossed another name off the list, "Very nice, yeah…"  
"And I look like a princess," one woman recited on stage, "And I dance like a feather!"  
"Okay, ummm… thank you!" Dmitri told her as he looked towards the stage, "Next, please!"  
The next woman to come onstage was wearing a rather large fur coat. When she got onto the stage, she let the coat fall to the ground, revealing her bony-thin body clothed by a provocative dress. "Grandmama, it's me!" she said as she held a long cigarette in her hand, "Anastasia!"  
As the actress moved her hips in a seductive fashion, Vladimir groaned and put his face down on the desk. This woman was clearly the wrong choice to portray Anastasia. Dmitri held his mouth open as he muttered, "Oh, brother!"

After finishing up with auditions, Dmitri and Vladimir left the theater, appearing to be defeated. None of the women who showed up to audition were fit to play the part of the lost princess. "That's it, Dmitri," Vlad said with defeat, "Game over! Our last kopeck gone for this flea-infested theater, and still no girl to pretend to be Anastasia!"  
"We'll find her, Vlad," Dmitri assured with a grin, "She's here somewhere, right under our noses!" He then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a dusty, but well-kept jewelry box. "Don't forget," he told his friend as they continued walking down the sidewalk, "One look at this jewelry box, and the Empress will think we've brought the real Anastasia…"  
In the meantime, two familiar girls were also walking on the sidewalk. Anya and Sellah decided to follow the old woman's advice and find this "Dmitri" person. "Excuse me," Anya started, "My friend and I are looking for the Catherine…" It was that moment when she accidentally bumped into Dmitri (who was walking in the opposite direction as the girls), and he walked past her. "Excuse me!" she muttered softly as the two men kept walking.  
"What a klutzy schmuck!" Sellah softly cursed, "He made me drop my money!"  
Anya saw Sellah's accident and said, "Sellah, you wait here with Pooka while I ask someone else for directions, okay?"  
Sellah was a bit skeptical, but she shrugged, "Okay, Anya. So long as no officers come by to harass me, then I'll be okay."

It was just a few seconds after Anya turned her back to ask another man when two police officers were walking by and saw Sellah picking up her money; they noticed her Star of David necklace, and grimaced when they approached her. Pooka barked just as the Jewish girl finished gathering up her scattered money. When she looked up, one of the police officers took her right hand full of money and inquired, "All right, Jewish girl, where'd you get all this money?"  
Sellah frowned and said as she struggled to free her hand, "For your information, I earned it and saved it!"  
"Jews don't earn THIS much money!" the first officer snapped as he pulled her close.  
"Da, you probably stole it!" the other officer said as he put his hand onto her left shoulder.  
"Stole it, ha!" Sellah scoffed as she struggled to get free, "You'd know a lot about stealing if only you read from the Ten Commandments once in a while!"  
Anya had just finished receiving instructions from a different man when she turned to see Sellah being harassed; she gasped in shock. Dmitri and Vladimir turned and also saw the incident; Dmitri gave a look of disgust to see those officers hurting the girl.  
"Oh, a trouble maker, huh?" the first officer said with a glare as he hauled Sellah off her feet.  
The second officer took out a pair of handcuffs as he taunted, "Maybe spending the night in a crowded jail cell will calm you down?" Just then, Pooka bit him on the leg, making him yelp in pain!

Anya and Sellah made a run for it as the officers pulled out their batons and ordered, "Come back here, Jew!"  
As the two girls ran, Dmitri suddenly appeared in front of the officers, making them come to a halt. "Whoa, whoa, officers!" Dmitri said as he held up his hands, "No need to chase after that caramel-haired girl! She's just a little out of her mind."  
Sellah stopped running to eavesdrop on the conversation. "How do you know if she's out of her mind?" the second officer questioned Dmitri.  
Dmitri came up with something and said, "This girl is… uh, my cousin! She, uh, likes to waltz around with that necklace with the Jewish star, because… she, uh, bought it at a market!" He turned around and gave Sellah a sly wink, and then indicated for her to run away.  
The two officers were dumbfounded at Dmitri's story. "And what about the money?" the first officer asked the auburn-haired man.  
"I-I-I gave it to her so that she could buy, uh, bread!" Dmitri lied, "It's a sad story. She's mentally ill, and her family is very poor. They, uh, live in Siberia, and had to, uh, send my cousin here to St. Petersburg to get well, so she's trying to find a job, you see!"  
Vladimir went over to his friend and nudged him with his elbow. "Dmitri, are you sure you know what you're doing?" he whispered with nervousness.  
"Alright, _mal'chik_," the first officer told Dmitri, "I'll let you and your cousin go just this once. But if my comrade and I catch her pretending to be a Jew again, she might not be so lucky!" And with that, the two officers left the conmen and went on their way.  
When the officers left, Vladimir happily told his friend, "Oh, Dmitri, I'm so proud of you! I knew you had a heart to help a poor _dyevushka_ out! Especially if she has different beliefs than we do!"  
Dmitri rolled his eyes and stated, "Come on, Vlad. Admit it – I was trying to get her to come over here so that we could see if she could be a good actress to play you-know-who!" He didn't really want to admit that he actually did want to save her from getting arrested, so he and Vladimir continued on their way down the sidewalk.


	5. Chapter 5

Meanwhile, Anya and Sellah had just reached the deserted palace when Sellah told her friend, "I can't believe that man actually stopped me from getting arrested! At least, I think he did. But who knows? The only men I can really trust in this world are my brothers, and they're somewhere in Boston in America!"  
"Speaking of which," Anya said as she remembered something, "Did you remember to mail your letters?"  
Sellah's expression changed to a happy one when she nodded and said, "Yes. Hopefully, Mottel and Fyvush will hear receive them in just a couple of weeks! Boy, will they be surprised when they learn that I'm finally coming to America!" Just then, she heard some barking and turned her head. "Oh my goodness!" Sellah gasped when she saw Pooka running towards a barricaded door, "Anya, we gotta get Pooka!"  
Anya nodded, and then the two young ladies ran after the dog. By the time they reached the barricaded door, however, the puppy had already snuck in through a crack. "Pooka!" Anya whispered as she peeked inside, "Pooka! Pooka, where are you?" She then pulled a board away, only to fall down on her back.  
"Oy, gevalt!" Sellah cried with concern, "Anya, are you okay?"  
"I'm fine," Anya said as her friend helped her back on her feet.

Inside a palace bedroom on an upper level, Dmitri and Vladimir were eating a light supper when they heard a noise from below. "Did you hear something?" Dmitri asked his friend.  
"Eh, no," Vlad sighed as he looked around.  
Meanwhile, Anya and Sellah had made their way inside the palace vestibule, and looked around. Taking her scarf off, Anya had a second look around the main foyer before she joined Sellah to walk up a staircase. The two girls made it to the palace doors and opened them slowly, careful not to disturb anyone who may be inside.  
"Hello?" Anya softly called out, "Anyone home?"  
Sellah nervously looked around and worried about anti-Semitic people watching her; she decided to hide her Star of David necklace under her shirt to avoid suspicion. The two girls wandered into an abandoned dining room, which was dusty and covered in cobwebs. Anya stopped and crouched down to pick up a broken half of a fancy ornate plate. She touched it and then felt something – a strange feeling that felt like a distant memory. The feeling disappeared when Sellah said, "Anya, look at this!"  
The Jewish girl was standing by a large vase decorated with dancing bears near a couple of long tables. "Bowls," Anya said softly as she looked at some dusty ornate dishes on the tables, along with champagne glasses covered in cobwebs. "Plates," the redhead whispered; everything seemed somewhat familiar.  
"Anya, are you okay?" Sellah asked as she saw her friend lost in thought.  
"Yeah," Anya answered softly, "It's just that… this place – it's… it's like a memory from a dream."  
The two women then wandered over to the top of a grand staircase and looked around. "I feel like I'm with Moses in Pharaoh's palace," Sellah whispered to herself, thinking about the Book of Exodus.  
Anya, meanwhile, stared at a large painting of the royal Romanov family. All the faces looked somewhat familiar, as if she had seen people like them before. A music box melody could be softly heard as Anya paced slowly and sang:

_Dancing bears_  
_Painted wings_  
_Things I almost remember_  
_And a song_  
_Someone sings,_  
_"Once Upon a December"_

Sellah watched her friend with curiosity and awe as Anya embraced herself and continued singing:

_Someone holds me safe and warm_  
_Horses prance through a silver storm_  
_Figures dancing gracefully_  
_Across my memory!_

Anya then started dreaming about all the dust blowing away from the painting high above on the walls; ghostly figures came dancing out of the pictures while singing the tune of her song. Sellah wondered what had gotten into her friend, so she decided to close her eyes and dream along with Anya. Pooka just watched as his mistresses were both lost in imaginary worlds.

Sellah then imagined herself wearing a different outfit. She wore a blue dress with a transparent yellow trimming at the waist, yellow puffy sleeves, two bracelets on her right wrist, high heels, a tan necklace with a blue stone, blue earrings, and her hair done in a bun. She walked down the stairs, and made eye contact with a handsome young man dressed in a white suit. The man smiled and held his hand out to her; Sellah gasped, but then she returned her own smile and took his hand. The two of them danced together while Anya imagined Czar Nicholas, Czarina Alexandra, Tsarevich Alexei, and the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana and Maria appearing from the grand painting and making their way to the ballroom.

**Anya:**_ Someone holds me safe and warm_  
_Horses prance through a silver storm_  
_Figures dancing gracefully_  
_Across my memory!_

One of the duchesses approached Anya and placed a pearl necklace around her neck. Anya twirled about and her appearance changed. She was now wearing a yellow dress with a blue ribbon around her waist, transparent white sleeves, a gold _kokoshnik_ tiara, and heels; her hair was tied back in a low ponytail by a sky blue ribbon. Anya danced around with a few gentlemen while Sellah danced with her dream boy, and then the czar approached Anya.

**Anya:** _Far away_  
_Long ago_  
_Glowing dimness in ember_  
_Things my heart_  
_Used to know_  
_Things it yearns to remember!_

The czar gently took Anya and danced with her a bit as the redhead sang, "And a song someone sings…" After dancing, the czar gently kissed Anya on the forehead before walking away. Sellah gently broke away from her man and walked over to Anya as the redhead kneeled and finished, "Once upon a December!"  
The two girls gazed up at the ceiling, thinking about their dancing and the song.


	6. Chapter 6

Anya and Sellah's dream ended and their outfits changed back to rags when a familiar voice shouted, "Hey! What are you two doing in here?" The two girls looked up to see Dmitri and Vladimir looking down at them from the upper floor of the palace.  
Anya then began get up and run, while Sellah came after her. "Wait!" the Jewish girl called to her friend, "It's the same guy who helped me – maybe he'll help us again?"  
The redhead didn't listen as she ran towards some stairs with her friend and the two men following. When they reached the landing of the ballroom, they stood in front of the grand painting, and Dmitri finally caught up with them.  
"Hey!" the young man called to them, "Hey! Stop, stop, stop, stop!" He paused the two women in their tracks and cried, "Hold on a minute, hold on!" Anya and Sellah slowly moved beside the painting; Anya turned her head slowly and her face shined with the sunlight. "Now how did you two get in h… here?" Dmitri asked. He was surprised at the last part, because Anya looked exactly like a little girl in the painting – the grand duchess Anastasia.

Sellah stayed by Anya's side and looked at Dmitri closely; he was the same man who helped her avoid getting arrested, but she still wasn't sure if she and Anya should trust him. "That's the one who kept me from getting arrested," the Jewish girl whispered to her friend.  
Meanwhile, Vladimir came up to Dmitri, catching his breath. "Excuse me, children," he panted to the girls as he reached his friend.  
At that moment, Dmitri smiled and nudged his elbow at his friend. "Vlad?" the young man whispered, "Do you see what I see?"  
Vlad squinted his eyes and replied, "No." Dmitri took Vlad's glasses out and placed them on his face. "Ah, now I see!" the fat man whispered.  
Pooka then approached Dmitri and circled his legs. "Hmmm, a dog," the young man mumbled.  
Anya turned her attention to Dmitri and asked, "A-are you Dmitri?"  
The young man didn't listen; instead he observed Pooka. "Cute," he said.  
Sellah cleared her throat and said, "Uh, excuse me, but my friend just asked you a question!"  
Dmitri looked up at the girls, and then handed Pooka to Vladimir. As his friend cradled the dog, Dmitri walked up the stairs and said to Anya, "Well, that depends on who's looking for him."  
"Umm, my name is Anya," said the redhead in a hushed tone, "And this girl is my friend Sellah. We need travel papers… they say you're the man to see, even though I can't tell you who said that."  
Dmitri then started circling Anya, studying her with a grin. "Hmmm," he wondered.  
"What are you doing?" Sellah asked with confusion.  
"Hey, why are you circling me?" Anya asked, "Were you a vulture in your other life?"  
"What a schmuck," Sellah grumbled to herself.  
"Oh, I'm so-" Dmitri said as he paused, "I'm sorry, Enya."  
"It's Anya," the redhead said, "Anya."  
"Anya," Dmitri repeated, "It's just… it's just that you look an awful lot like…" He looked at the young girl in the painting, and then back at Anya. "Oh, never mind," he said, "Now, you said something about travel papers?"  
"Uh, yes," said Anya, "My friend and I would like to go to Paris."  
"You two would like to go to Paris?" Dmitri echoed.  
"Mmmm-hmmm," Anya said with a nod. She was still contemplating on whether or not to go with this fellow.

Dmitri then looked at Vladimir, who was playing with Pooka. "Now who is this here?" the stout man asked. He chuckled as Pooka began licking him. "Oh, oh, look!" he grinned, "Oh, look, he likes me!"  
"Nice dog," Dmitri said to the puppy.  
"Oh, it is marvelous!" Vlad said as he kept playing with Pooka, "Oh, I love, I love, I love you!"  
Dmitri turned to Sellah Rosenberg and asked, "And how about you, er… what's your name again?"  
Sellah gave him an uneasy look and asked, "Is this an interrogation?"  
"All I want is for you to repeat your name," Dmitri stated plainly.  
"Sellah," the caramel-haired girl said, "Sellah Tzeitel Rosenberg. I'm Jewish, and I want to go to Paris so I can find a job. That way, I won't be hunted down so much, and then I'll be able to buy passage to America. I haven't seen my brothers in years!"  
"So that's why those officers came after you," Vladimir gasped.  
Sellah nodded, and then Dmitri did the same. Then the young man went back to Anya and asked, "Let me ask you something, Anya, is it?" Sellah rolled her eyes as Dmitri continued, "Is there a last name that goes with it?"  
"This is going to sound crazy," Anya explained, "But… I don't know my last name. I was found wandering around when I was eight years old."  
"And before that?" Dmitri asked, "Before you were eight?"  
"Look, I know it sounds strange," Anya continued, "But I have very few memories about my past."  
The young man's eyes lit up, because he knew that Anya would be perfect to play the part of the lost princess.

Dmitri leaned over to Vladimir and whispered, "Hmmm. That's… that's perfect!" He finally found what he was looking for – a young woman to play the part of the missing grand duchess – and his plan was working out so far!  
"Well, I do have one clue, however," Anya said as she took her necklace out from under her shirt, "And that is Paris."  
"Paris," Dmitri quietly repeated as he gazed over at the redhead girl.  
"Right," Anya said as she tucked her necklace back under her shirt.  
"Anya, are you sure about this?" Sellah whispered to her friend, "I mean, that man was nice to help me out and all, but he seems a little edgy when he's around you."  
"Sellah, stop worrying!" Anya whispered back, "Everything's gonna be fine!"  
Sellah just sighed and thought to herself, _Nothing is really fine when you worship differently than most other people in Russia._  
"So can…?" Anya asked as she and Sellah faced the two men, "So can you two help us or not?"  
Dmitri leaned over to Vladimir again and whispered, "Hey, Vlad! Vlad, tickets!" The fat man began searching his coat pockets as Dmitri faced the girls again and said, "I sure would like to… Well, in fact, oddly enough, we're going to Paris ourselves!"  
"Oh, really?" Sellah asked with a sly grin.

In the meantime, Vladimir pulled out three tickets. They all said "Moscow Circus". He handed his friend the tickets as Dmitri casually told the Jewish girl, "Yes, we are. And I've got three… um, well this one is… but I've got tickets here…"  
Anya saw the tickets in the young man's hand and said softly, "Oh! I…" She tried reaching for the tickets, but Dmitri slowly pulled them away from her.  
Sellah then gave an uneasy look; maybe Dmitri wasn't a good person to trust after all? Her thoughts were interrupted when the young man said to Anya, "Eh, but unfortunately the third one is for her. Anastasia." He pointed back to the painting.  
The redhead looked a little closer at the young girl in the painting. "Oh," Anya said as she held onto Pooka.  
The two men then took the young ladies to another part of the ballroom. They then paused in front of a painting of the Dowager Empress Maria. "And we are going to reunite the grand duchess with her grandmother," Vladimir told the two ladies.  
Dmitri got a closer look at Anya and said, "You do kind of resemble her."  
"The same blue eyes," said Vlad.  
"The Romanov eyes," added Dmitri.  
"Nicholas's smile," Vlad added as he looked at the redhead's mouth.  
"Alexandra's chin," added Dmitri.  
"What are they doing?" Sellah asked with annoyance.  
"Oh, look!" Vladimir smiled as he looked at Anya's free hand, "She even has her grandmother's hands!"  
Anya pulled her hand away from the fat man in annoyance while Dmitri told his friend, "She's the same age – the same physical type!"  
Anya became confused and asked the two men, "Are you trying to tell me that you think I am Anastasia?"  
_I think so,_ Sellah thought to herself.  
"All I'm trying to tell you," Dmitri said to Anya, "Is that I've seen thousands of girls all over the country, and not one of them looks as much like the grand duchess as you. I mean, look at the portrait!" He then pointed to the portrait.

Anya and Sellah both looked at the painting and studied it carefully. "He has a point," Sellah whispered to her friend, "You do look just like Anastasia."  
Anya remained silent as she looked at the portrait, and then she looked back at Dmitri. "You know," she stated, "I knew you were crazy from the beginning, but now I think you're both mad. Hmph." Then she walked away; Sellah followed her after shrugging her shoulders.  
"Why?" Dmitri asked as he tried to stop the girls, "You don't know what happened to you."  
"No one knows what happened to her," Vladimir added from behind his friend.  
"You're looking for family in Paris," Dmitri continued.  
"And her only family is in Paris," added Vlad.  
"Ever thought about the possibility?" Dmitri asked Anya.  
"That I could be royalty?" Anya asked.  
"Mmm-hmmm," Dmitri and Vladimir said in unison as they nodded.  
"Well, I don't know," Anya said as she paced about, "It's kind of hard to think of yourself as a duchess when you're sleeping on a damp floor. But sure, yeah. I guess every lonely girl would hope she's a princess."  
"True," Sellah said softly, "Sometimes I would wish that I could be like Queen Esther."  
Anya was now pacing closer towards the two men just as Dmitri turned and walked away. "And somewhere," Vladimir said to the redhead, "One little girl is. After all, the name Anastasia means 'she will rise again!'"  
At that moment, Dmitri came over to him and took him by the sleeve of his coat. "Really wish we could help," he told the girls, "But the third ticket is for the Grand Duchess Anastasia." Anya heaved a heavy sigh as the young man told her, "Good luck."

As the two men walked away, Sellah took Anya by the hand and whispered, "Anya, I have uneasy feelings about that young man."  
"What are you talking about?" Anya asked softly.  
"I mean, he helped me when I was about to be arrested," Sellah continued, "But I think there might be more to him than he's showing us. You know how strangers are – especially around Jewish people!"  
"Sellah, I want to do whatever it takes to find my family and who I am," Anya softly told her friend, "And if this guy helped you escape from getting arrested, then he can help me find my family, and help you find a job in Paris."  
"Are you sure?" Sellah asked.  
Anya stood still for a moment, and then decided to look back at the painting of Empress Maria and Anastasia.

Meanwhile, Vladimir quietly fumed to Dmitri, "Why didn't you tell them about our brilliant plan?"  
"All those two do want to do is go to Paris," Dmitri whispered, "Why give a third or a fourth of the reward money?"  
"I'm telling you," Vlad said softly, "We're walking away too soon!"  
"Not to worry," Dmitri reassured, "I got it all under control." He stopped to think for a moment and then said, "Alright. But walk a little slower…" The two of them then started walking a little slower down the steps.  
Back at the frieze, Anya and Sellah looked at the painting together. The redhead fiddled around with her necklace while the Jewish girl looked up at the old woman in the picture. She wasn't too sure if she wanted to present herself in front of a monarch whose people once prosecuted Jews. "Sellah," Anya said to her friend, "Remember our original plan?"  
Sellah became dumbfounded; she wanted to go someplace where people like her weren't hated as much as they were in Russia, but she also didn't want to meet anyone – let alone a royal – who was from Russia living in Paris. "Y-yes, I do," she responded, "Do you think…?"  
"I think so," Anya whispered. She gently took Sellah's hand, and then the two walked down the stairs.

At this time, Dmitri and Vladimir were casually getting ready to leave the palace. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Dmitri smiled and quietly counted backwards from three. When he reached the number one, a familiar voice called out, "Dmitri!"  
The young man smiled as Vladimir clapped his hands and said, "Ha! Right in the palm of our hands!"  
Dmitri turned around and saw Anya running down, trying to flag him. "Dmitri, wait!" she called.  
Acting innocent, Dmitri asked, "Did-did you call me?"  
"If I don't remember who I am," Anya explained, "Then who's to say I'm not a princess, or a duchess, or whatever she is, right?"  
"Hmmm, go on," Dmitri said casually.  
Sellah gave the young man a funny look as the redhead girl continued, "Yeah, and if I'm not Anastasia, the Empress will certainly know right away… and it's all just an honest mistake."  
"Sounds plausible," said Dmitri.  
"But if you are the princess," said Vladimir with hopefulness in his voice, "Then you'll finally know who you are and have your family back." He looked at Sellah and said to her, "And maybe we could also assist you in finding a decent job to help you earn money for passage?"  
"I think I'm seeing something with the older fellow," Sellah whispered to herself. She appeared to be gaining trust in Vladimir as she gave him a small smile.  
Dmitri gave a chuckle and said, "You know… you know he's right! Either way, it gets you two to Paris."  
Anya gave the two men a smile, and figured that maybe they were right – maybe they could help her find her family in Paris, after all? Sellah nervously smiled at her best friend, and then decided to go with her and the two men. She leaned in towards Anya and whispered in her ear, "Let's be careful, okay? I'm your friend, and I want what's best for you." Anya looked at Sellah and gave her an approving nod.


	7. Chapter 7

As everyone began to leave the palace, Dmitri decided to get Anya into character by announcing, "May I present – Her Royal Highness, the Grand Duchess Anastasia!"  
Sellah just smirked and shook her head. "You shmuck," she whispered to herself.  
Anya happily told her puppy, "Pooka, we are going to Paris!"  
But Dmitri told her, "Uh, no, the dog stays here."  
"What are you talking about?" Anya asked with annoyance, "The dog goes."  
"No, the dog does not go," Dmitri argued.  
"I say he's going," Anya replied.  
"I'm, uh, allergic to dogs!" Dmitri lied.  
"Come on!" Sellah said as she took Anya's side, "If she wants to take the dog, you should let her!"

Unknown to the people, someone was watching and listening from the rafters high up in the palace. A little albino bat named Bartok, to be exact. Years ago, he served as a lackey for a mysterious and evil man named Grigory Rasputin. That man held a deep hatred for the Romanov family, and even planned out their murders; he died in 1916 by drowning in a freezing river while trying to catch an old woman and a little girl (who just so happened to be the Dowager Empress Marie and the Grand Duchess Anastasia).  
Bartok looked down at the people below him and commented in a Midwestern accent, "Anastasia? Yeah, there's just one problem there, fella. Anastasia's dead! All the Romanovs are dead! They're dead – dead, dead, dead!" Next to the albino bat was a reliquary that glowed a dim green. As Bartok mumbled on, some light green smoke escaped the reliquary, and a lit candle blew out! A tiny green demon floated next to Bartok as the bat muttered, "Am I right, my friend? I mean, how can that be Ana…" His sentence was cut off when he saw the demon right in front of him, making him yelp and scream.

The reliquary then glowed a deeper shade of green, making more demons escape and try to float down to catch Anya and Sellah; they disappeared into smoke before anything else could happen, though. Confused, Bartok exclaimed out loud, "Oh, come on! Am I supposed to believe that thing woke up after all these years just because some guy claims she's a Romanov?" At that moment, the reliquary started trembling a bit. "And to make matters worse, there's some Jewish girl with her?" Bartok continued as he looked down at a certain caramel-haired girl, "Oh, she shouldn't be here, 'cause if the royals were still alive, they'd prosecute her for sure!"  
Then the reliquary shook more violently and glowed a brighter shade of green. "Okay, okay!" cried Bartok as he held his wings up in defense, "I get the message! Enough already with the glowing and the smoke, people!" He looked down at Anya and Sellah once more, and then smiled in thought. "If that thing comes back to life," he said to himself, "It must mean… Anastasia's alive… and that's her! And maybe that other girl is trying to convert her to Judaism or something!"

Down below, Anya and Dmitri were still arguing over whether or not Pooka should stay in Russia or go to Paris. "Just leave the dog!" Dmitri said with annoyance.  
"No, I'm not leaving the dog!" Anya argued back.  
"This dog means no harm, you shmuck!" Sellah shot at Dmitri.  
Before the young man could say anything, Vlad said to them with urgency, "Eh, we have a train to catch!"  
So the quartet and the dog all ran out of the palace to catch a train while Bartok watched from above.  
Just then, the reliquary shook even more violently, lunged towards Bartok, and then headed down towards the ground! The bat screamed as he held onto the magic device for dear life, "WHOOOOAAAA! Mayday, mayday! Hey!"  
The reliquary went through a broken part of the floor, revealing ice-cold water down beneath. The device went through the water, and then down through some muddy soil, taking Bartok with it. The bat yelped as he dodged to avoid pieces of dirt before going deeper into the Earth. Then, the bat cried out with pain as he felt some hot stuff on his feet. Before long, the reliquary shot towards a mysterious realm that was decorated with human skulls and bones.

Inside the realm was a bony-looking man with dark hair tied back in a low ponytail, pale skin, and a long beard, wearing a long, dark robe. He scratched around with anger when he heard something crash into his lair. Bartok, who was still dazed and confused from his wild ride, cried out as he rubbed his head, "Oh, ow! I tell ya what, ouch!"  
"Who dares intrude on my solitude?" the bony man, Grigory Rasputin shrieked with anger, "Get out! Get out! OUT!" He then seized Bartok, squeezing him until his eyes bulged out. Before Rasputin could crush him, the man got a good look at the bat and gave a look of surprise. "Bartok?" he asked, "Is that you?"  
As he struggled in Rasputin's grip, Bartok squeaked, "M-master? You're alive?"  
"Yes, in a manner of speaking!" the undead man answered as he let go of the bat. When he did, one of his eyes literally popped out of its socket and landed on Bartok's wings.  
"Oh, whoa!" cried the bat, "The fell right out of there, sir!" He then flew up to Rasputin's hand and then placed the eye back into his hand.  
"Something's happened!" Rasputin mumbled.  
"Yeah, whoopsey!" said Bartok.  
"I knew it!" Rasputin continued after he put his eye back in its socket, "I could feel the dark forces stirring!"  
"I'm not surprised, because I saw her!" said Bartok, "Anastasia!"  
"Anastasia?" Rasputin repeated as he sat upright; his lips slid out of his mouth and down his beard as he shot out, "Alive?!"  
"Oh, uh, sir, your lips," Bartok said nervously as he handed his master's lips back to the undead man.  
"That Romanov brat!" Rasputin cried out with anger as he placed his lips back into his mouth.

Bartok remembered seeing Sellah, too, and he added to Rasputin, "And somebody is with her, too! Some girl talking Yiddish, sir!"  
"Yiddish?!" Rasputin cried out, "The language of the Jews?!"  
"Uh, yes, Master!" Bartok nervously nodded.  
By then, Rasputin started fuming with anger. "Oh, if there was one thing I agreed on with the Romanovs," he said with a glare, "It's the fact that Jewish people are all vermin! They live outside the normal society in Russia, and many years they've flamed the people's lower instincts!"  
"Yeah," added Bartok, "That girl goes everywhere with Anastasia, and she acts very defensive like something really bad happened to her a long time ago!"  
"I wouldn't be surprised," Rasputin replied, "While some of the Jews have already escaped or died, there are some still living in Russia, I can tell!"  
"Wow!" exclaimed Bartok, "Yeah, ain't that a kick in the head! I guess a curse just ain't what it used to be, huh, sir?"  
The undead man became irate as he seized the bat again, crushing him with his bony fist. "That's why…" Rasputin muttered angrily as he nearly crushed the bat.  
"Whoa, whoa!" cried Bartok.  
"I'm stuck here in limbo!" continued Rasputin as he held Bartok up high, unable to crush him anymore. He landed into a seat and wept silently as he finished, "My curse in unfulfilled! And what's worse – the princess is in a friendship with a Jew!" As he ranted, he flung his fist away (right off his hand), taking Bartok with it.

When Rasputin saw that his fist was gone, he started crying with frustration as he lamented, "Oh, look at me! I'm falling apart!" He collapsed onto a ratty bed as he finished, "I'm a wreck!"  
Bartok carried the dismembered hand and said as he came over to Rasputin, "Actually, considering how long you've been dead, you look pretty good!" The undead corpse just kept weeping as the bat put his hand back on his arm and continued, "Sir, you do. You really do!"  
"Really?" Rasputin asked with wide and happier eyes.  
"Sir, is this the face of a bat who would lie to you?" Bartok asked, "Come on! For a moment there, you had your old spark back!"  
Rasputin remembered something and cursed, "Oh, if only I hadn't lost the gift from the dark forces! The key to my powers!"  
Bartok went over to a pile of dirt rubble and picked up a familiar object as he asked, "What? You mean this reliquary?"  
As his eyes widened, Rasputin asked with surprise, "Where did you get that?"  
"Oh, I found it," Bartok started.  
"Give it to me!" Rasputin yelled as he took the reliquary away from the bat.  
"Alright, alright!" Bartok said with annoyance, "Don't be so grabby!"  
The undead man chuckled as he held his most prized possession up to his face, "My old friend, together again!" He gave an evil smirk as he held his device up high and announced, "Now my dark purpose will be fulfilled, and the last of the Romanovs will DIE!"  
Lightning bolted down into the domain, scaring Bartok. Rasputin sang out loud as creepy bugs came out of the ground:

_In the dark of the night_  
_I was tossing and turning_  
_And the nightmare I had_  
_Was as bad as can be_

Rasputin fell apart and sang as he head bounced around a bit:

_It scared me out of my wits_  
_A corpse falling to bits_  
_Then I opened my eyes_  
_And the nightmare was ME!_

When he literally came back together, the undead man came over to a small vortex, and concocted an image of Anya and Sellah boarding a train with Dmitri and Vladimir.

_I was once the most mystical man_  
_In all of Russia_  
_When the royals betrayed me_  
_They made a mistake_  
_My curse made each of them pay_  
_But one little girl got away_  
_Little Anya, beware!_  
_Rasputin's awake!_

All the insects played around with Bartok and danced as they sang out loud:

_In the dark of the night_  
_Evil will find her_  
_In the dark of the night_  
_Just before dawn!_  
**Rasputin:** _Revenge will be sweet_  
_When the curse is complete!_  
**Bugs:** _In the dark of the night_  
**Rasputin:** _She'll be gone!_

Bartok was then surrounded by some female bugs as he nervously said to them, "Uh, hi, ladies! Heh, hi!"  
Rasputin then stood in front of the mirror, and some bugs formed a tower (with Bartok and a bottle of cologne on top), giving the mirror the image of Anya brushing her hair. Then the "girl" turned and revealed to be Rasputin himself!

**Rasputin:** _I can feel that my powers_  
_Are slowly returning_  
_Tie my sash_  
_Add a dash of cologne for that smell!_  
_As the pieces fall into place_  
_I'll see her crawl into place!_  
_Do svidaniya, Anya, your grace!_  
_Farewell!_

Then the undead man walked down some stairs while the insects followed him and sang:

_In the dark of the night_  
_Terror will strike her!_  
**Rasputin:** _Terror's the least I can do!_  
**Bugs:** _In the dark of the night_  
_Evil will brew_  
**Rasputin:** _Soon she will feel_  
_That her nightmares are real!_  
**Bugs:** _In the dark of the night_  
**Rasputin:** _She'll be through!_  
**Bugs:** _In the dark of the night_  
_Evil will find her_  
_(Find her)_  
_In the dark of the night_  
_Terror comes true_  
_(Doom her)_  
**Rasputin:** _My dear, here's a sign_  
_It's the end of the line!_  
**Bugs:** _In the dark of the night (2x)_

Rasputin arrived at the center of the cave, and used his reliquary to create a big vortex, creating thousands of green demons. The evil minions chased Bartok a bit before they went through the roof to find Anastasia and kill her!

**Rasputin:** _Come, my minions_  
_Rise for your master_  
_Let your evil shine!_  
_(In the dark of the night (2x))_  
_Find her now_  
_Yes, fly ever faster!_  
_(In the dark of the night (3x))_  
_She'll be mine!_


	8. Chapter 8

The next day, a train was travelling away from St. Petersburg and into the western Russian countryside. In one of the passenger cars, Vladimir was sitting on a seat while writing something down on a piece of paper. He then looked at Pooka, and tickled the little puppy with his writing feather.  
Sellah and Anya sat together by a window as they watched the countryside quickly move by. "So, Sellah, have you ever thought about what you might wanna do when we get to Paris?" Anya asked her friend.  
Sellah sighed dreamily, "I've always wanted to be either a dancer or a magician. When I was younger, I used to dance with klezmer bands whenever my village had celebrations. And my two brothers loved experimenting with magic tricks. Sometimes they taught me how to make things disappear from underneath cloths, or how to make a coin disappear in my hand."  
"You sure would've had great potential if you decided to stay in Russia," Anya commented.  
"But not freedom," Sellah sighed sadly as she looked away from her friend, "You see, Jews don't do well in Russia or behind stone walls."  
At that moment, Dmitri walked in with a suitcase. He placed the case on the rack above Anya and Sellah's seat, and then he sat down where Pooka was sitting; the puppy growled and barked in annoyance. The man turned to face the girls with a forced smile and faked a sneeze, indicating for Pooka to move along.

Sellah rolled her eyes at Dmitri, and the young man mumbled, "Oh, the dog gets the window seat." Pooka went over to sit by the window while Dmitri saw Anya hunched over as she played with her necklace a bit. "Stop fiddling with that thing," he told her, "And sit up straight! You're a grand duchess, remember?"  
"Oy gevalt," Sellah muttered under her breath, "Seriously?"  
"How is it that you know what grand duchesses do and don't do?" Anya asked the young man with annoyance as she crossed her arms.  
"I make it my business to know," said Dmitri with a smug look.  
"Oh."  
"Look, Anya, I'm just trying to help, okay?" the young man told her.  
Sellah sighed with annoyance as Vladimir mumbled to himself and rolled his eyes.  
"Dmitri?" Anya asked.  
"Mmmm-hmm?" Dmitri mumbled.  
"Do you really think I'm royalty?" the redhead girl asked.  
"I do know," replied Dmitri.  
Anya thought for a moment, and then softly snapped, "Then stop bossing me around!"  
As her friend turned away, Sellah added, "Yeah. IF Anya really is royalty, then you'll have to be taking orders from HER." She closed her eyes and held her head up with a "Humph!"  
"Those dyevushkas certainly have minds of their own!" Vladimir commented as he saw the two girls, "Especially the fiery redhead!"  
"Yes – I hate that in women!" Dmitri said with annoyance. Anya overheard him and stuck her tongue out at him.  
"Push off!" Sellah ordered Dmitri, "Just because we're going with you to Paris doesn't mean we can trust or even like you!"  
Dmitri did a face palm as he walked away. When his friend was gone, Vladimir pulled out a notebook after moving some papers, and then came to a page that was designed like a scorecard. He put one tally underneath Anya's name, and another tally under Sellah's name.

As the train chugged on for the rest of the day, Anya looked at some pages in a book without actually reading the words. Sellah, on the other hand, was writing something down on a piece of paper; she was writing to her brothers, telling them that she was just leaving Russia, and getting closer and closer to Paris, where she'd get a job to help her pay expenses for a passage to America. Dmitri sat next to Anya and thought that this would be a good time to earn her trust and Sellah's. "Look, girls," he said with a sly face, "I think we all got off on the wrong foot, here."  
"Well, I think we did, too," Anya said with annoyance as she put her book down and looked at Dmitri.  
"Well, am I not surprised," said Sellah as she folded her arms.  
"Okay," Dmitri said with an unsure tone.  
"But I appreciate your apology," Anya stated dutifully.  
"I do too," added Sellah.  
"Apology?" Dmitri asked with surprise, "Who said anything about an apology?"  
"You should be ashamed for being so bossy around my friend, you shmuck!" Sellah scoffed.  
"Stop calling me that," the young man grumbled under his breath.  
"Please," said Anya.  
"That we…" Dmitri started.  
"Don't talk anymore, okay?" Anya said sternly, "It's only gonna upset me."  
"Yeah, leave her alone!" Sellah muttered.  
"Fine, I'll be quiet!" Dmitri frowned, "Quiet if you two will, I'll be."  
"Fine!" said Anya.  
"Fine!" repeated Dmitri.  
"Fine."  
"Fine."  
Sellah stuffed her pencil and papers into her coat pocket with silence and annoyance before turning away from Dmitri.

During the short period of silence, Anya looked out the window and saw that she and her friends were travelling through the snowy countryside of western Russia. "You think you're gonna miss it?" Anya asked Dmitri.  
"Miss what?" Dmitri inquired, "Your talking?"  
"No! Russia!" Anya answered calmly.  
"No," Dmitri mumbled.  
"I won't miss it, either," Sellah softly said, "Too many authoritarians who show no respect for my people."  
"But it was your home," Anya said to the young man.  
"It was a place I once lived," said Dmitri, "End of story."  
"Well, then, you must plan on making Paris your true home, huh?" Anya asked him with a grin.  
"What is it with you and homes?" asked Dmitri.  
Anya stood up as Dmitri rested his legs on her seat and listened to her. "Well, for one thing," she explained, "It's something that every normal person wants."  
"Yeah," added Sellah as she sat up straight, "You see, Paris will be my temporary home until I can earn enough money to be permanently settled with my brothers in Boston – in America – a place where my people are free to worship our religion and have equal rights!"  
"She's right," Anya continued, "And for another thing, it's a thing where you…"  
"What?" Dmitri interrupted.  
Offended, Anya cried out, "Y-you know… oh, forget it!"  
"Fine!" Dmitri scoffed as Anya groaned and walked away from him.  
"Wait for me, Anya," Sellah said as she left her seat, "I'm coming with you. I'm not about to listen to another annoying argument between you and that mensch!"

As if on cue, Vladimir entered with Pooka in his arms. "Oh, thank goodness it's you!" Anya said to the fat man. She pointed at Dmitri and said, "Just remove him from our sight!"  
Sellah nodded with a stern look as she and Anya walked away. "What have you done with them?" Vladimir asked his friend with suspicion.  
"ME?" Dmitri asked with an angry tone, "It's them! Especially Anya!"  
"Ha! We were just having a normal conversation!" Anya snapped as she and Sellah were escorted out of the seating area by Vlad. Pooka growled at Dmitri while his mistress slammed the door with frustration.  
"Oh no!" Vladimir said as he held Pooka up in the air, "An unspoken attraction!"  
"Attraction?!" Dmitri exclaimed, "To that skinny little brat and her friend? Have you lost your mind?!"  
As the young man left, Vladimir said calmly, "I was just asking a simple question."  
"Ridiculous!" Dmitri grumbled as he walked down the hall.  
Meanwhile, outside, several of Rasputin's minions flew over to the train, and made their way to the steam locomotive. Then they went down into the funnel and made the train glow bright red as it picked up speed.


	9. Chapter 9

Inside one of the passenger cars, Vladimir was walking when he bumped into a couple studying their travel papers. The fat man managed to catch a glimpse of the papers, which were both signed in red ink. Then Vlad looked at his own papers, and gasped when he saw black ink on them instead. "Last month, the papers were in blue, and now they're in red!" the man said.  
Just then, a ticket man was heard calling out, "Papers! Papers! Papers!"  
Vladimir then started to panic, because he knew that he and his friends would be in trouble if the ticket master found out that the papers weren't signed in the correct color. As the ticket master arrived, Vlad quickly made his way through the passageway as he panted, "Oh, excuse me!"  
He then bumped into a lady, who frowned at him, "How rude!"

When he reached his car, Vladimir muttered out loud, "That's what I hate about this government! Everything's in red!"  
"Red?" Dmitri asked him.  
Vlad showed his friend the papers as Anya and Sellah sat sleeping side by side in a chair; Pooka was resting in Anya's lap. "I propose we move to the baggage car," Vladimir told Dmitri with haste, "Quickly! Before the guards come!" He then started getting his baggage out from the compartment; the noise made Sellah move her eyebrows a bit.  
"I propose we get off this train!" Dmitri suggested to his friend as he gathered his own things.  
Sellah slowly opened one eye and mumbled, "Hmmm? What is…" Her sentence was cut off when she looked up to see a glowing green light on the ceiling of the car. "What's that light?" she softly asked herself.  
As Sellah stared at the ceiling, Anya kept on sleeping as Pooka shot up with alertness at the window. Some green demons were floating outside, making the dog bark like crazy. Just then, one of the green creatures came up and made a scary face, frightening the dog!  
"Pooka, are you okay?" Sellah asked the puppy as she picked him up, "Coincidentally, I thought I saw some odd green color on the ceiling not too long ago."  
"Come on, Sellah," Dmitri said as he looked at Sellah, "Tell Anya that we have to go."  
Sellah just frowned and put her finger to her lips before pointing out that Anya was still asleep.

Dmitri turned his attention to Anya and whispered as he tried waking her up with a gentle shake, "Hey, wake up!"  
Anya woke with a yelp and punched Dmitri in the face, making him groan in pain.  
Sellah giggled softly as the redhead girl rose, fully awake, and cried out, "Oh, I'm sorry! I thought you were…" She looked to see Dmitri rubbing his face and muttered, "Oh, it's you. Well, that's okay, then!"  
The young man took her hand and said as he took his luggage, "Come on, girls! We've got to go!"  
"Where are we going?" Anya asked with confusion.  
"Yeah," added Sellah with a raised brow, "And what's the rush?"  
As the four friends prepared to leave their car, Pooka went forward and barked with excitement as he passed Vladimir. "I think you broke my nose!" Dmitri groaned at Anya.  
"What's his problem?" Sellah asked her friend.  
"Oh, men are such babies!" Anya answered as she put on her coat and handed Sellah her own jacket.

Later that night, the friends and their dog successfully made it to the baggage car. "Ah, yes, this will do nicely," Dmitri whispered to Vladimir as Anya and Sellah came into the car.  
"But they'll freeze in here!" Vladimir said nonchalantly as he shook his head.  
"They can thaw when they get to Paris," Dmitri said with slight annoyance.  
Anya and Sellah looked around the car, and Sellah asked with a frown, "What is this place and what are we doing here?"  
"The baggage car?" Anya asked dismissively, "There wouldn't be anything wrong with our papers, would there, Maestro?"  
"And I don't suppose there are any anti-Semitic officers around, either?" Sellah added with her hands on her hips.  
"Of course not, your grace!" Dmitri assured Anya before lying, "It's just that… I-I'd hate to see you and your lady-in-waiting forced to mingle with all those commoners!"  
"Lady-in-waiting?" Sellah scoffed, "Now that's quite a high honor for someone of my class. See if you can explain that to the Empress when we get to France!"  
Dmitri just did a face palm in annoyance and groaned.


	10. Chapter 10

Outside, some of Rasputin's minions went under the carriage of the train, and then set the engine on fire! Then they floated under the couplings of two of the cars, and pried them apart before clinging to the baggage car's couplings as the other car drifted away.  
**KA-BOOM!**  
Inside the baggage car, the four friends fell backward as they felt the explosion. Dmitri, Anya, and Sellah landed into a pile of bags, and Dmitri asked out loud, "What was that?"  
"I don't know!" Vladimir called as he looked out the window, "But there goes the dining car!"  
"And I thought the Great War ended a long time ago!" Sellah cried as she struggled to get up.  
"Hey, get off me!" Anya muffled as she tried to get Dmitri out of the way while struggling to get up at the same time.  
Sellah held her hand out and helped Anya up. "Anya, are you hurt?" the Jewish girl asked.  
"I'm fine!" Anya replied breathlessly.  
As he stared out the window, Vladimir saw smoke billowing out the engine, and sparks flying everywhere. "Eh, Dmitri!" he called with concern and fright.  
"What?" the young man asked as he rubbed a sore spot on his leg.  
"I think someone has flambéed our engine!" Vlad answered.  
"Here – I'll go check it out!" Dmitri said as he started to leave the baggage car.  
"Be careful out there!" Sellah called out to him.

Dmitri climbed over the smokestack and shielded his eyes from the smoke before he reached the inside of the locomotive. The interior was blazing hot and glowing orange. "Hello? Anyone here?" the young man called out. Just then, he saw the main lever, and then tried pulling on it, only to bring his hand back in pain from the hot metal. Dmitri then ran back to the baggage car.  
In the meantime, Anya and Sellah looked out the window and saw the trees going by at an extreme speed! "Oy vey!" Sellah cried with shock, "What's going on?!"  
"We're going way too fast!" Anya cried out.  
As if on cue, Dmitri arrived in the nick of time and warned everyone, "Nobody's driving this train. We're gonna have to jump!"  
"What?!" Sellah cried out with shock and disbelief as she and the others looked down a chasm.  
"Did you say, 'jump?'" Anya cried to the young man, "After you!"  
"There's no WAY I'm gonna jump hundreds of feet down to my doom!" Sellah added.  
Unamused, Dmitri suggested, "Fine! We'll uncouple the car!"  
"How?" Sellah asked with a raised brow.  
Dmitri went outside and knelt down towards the couplings that held the locomotive and the baggage car together. He tried prying them open, but it proved too difficult. "Come on!" the young man called out, "I need a wrench, an axe, anything!"  
His friends then started looking around for some useful tool to pry the couplings apart.

As Vladimir and the girls searched, Pooka started barking like crazy at something. "Pooka, what is it?" Sellah asked the dog. She saw a crate that had "bDANGER – EXPLOSIVES/b" printed on it, and called to the redhead girl, "Anya, come here! I think I have an idea!"  
Anya looked over and smiled at her friend, knowing that dynamites would work.  
Vladimir, on the other hand, handed Dmitri a hammer and said, "Here!"  
Dmitri used the hammer to try and bang the couplings apart, but the hammer broke, much to his dismay. "Come on!" he groaned with frustration, "There's gotta be something better than this!" Anya then handed him a dynamite, making him say, "That'll work!" He put the dynamite in the coupling and wondered if there would be a spark to light the fuse. "Go, go, go!" Dmitri ordered his friends as they made their way to the steam car.  
They then leapt towards the steam car and landed in a pile as Sellah prayed, "I hope this works! Forgive me and Anya, Elohim!"  
"What do they teach you girls in those orphanages?" Dmitri asked Anya and the Jewish girl.  
KABOOM! The couplings attached to the two cars came apart, finally setting everyone free!

Underneath the engine, the demons became angry and then came up with a different plan. They flew out from under the locomotive and made their way to an oncoming bridge over a gorge. As the train sped through the mountains at high speed, the four friends knew they had to escape quickly. Vladimir tried turning the wheels for the brakes, but it didn't work! "The brakes are out!" he cried.  
"Turn harder!" Dmitri ordered. He then looked out the window and assured to the girls, "Don't worry! We've got plenty of track. We'll just coast to a stop!"  
Just then, at the bridge, the demons shot a green explosion of fire on the bridge, making it explode and crumble!  
As the friends in the steam car looked out the window and saw the damaged bridge, Sellah asked Dmitri with a frown, "Are you positively sure?"  
"You were saying?" Anya added. At this point, the train was speeding downhill at an extreme speed.

Coming back to the baggage car, Dmitri picked up a chain that was supporting the cargo; his eyes lit up as he said hopefully, "I've got an idea! Vlad, give me a hand with this!"  
Vladimir turned to help his friend, but he lost balance and fell into a pile of boxes. "Sellah, go help Vlad!" Anya told her friend.  
Sellah nodded and went to see if Vladimir was injured while Anya took the chain.  
Dmitri slowly made his way out of the car and then crawled underneath it. "Hand me the chain!" he called out. Anya came over to him with the chain, and the young man grumbled, "Not you!"  
"Vlad's busy at the moment!" Anya said as she lowered the chain to Dmitri.  
The young man took the chain and brought it towards the train's undercarriage before he heard a crunching noise. He looked and saw pieces of metal and debris flying right towards him! "No, no!" Dmitri yelled, "Arrrghhh!"  
Just then, Anya yanked the chain upward and pulled Dmitri out of the way before he could be torn to shreds. "You okay?" Sellah asked as she approached the young man.  
"I'm fine," Dmitri mumbled before he looked up at Anya and stared at her. But then he blinked his eyes and looked out the window to see the metal pieces fly over to a tree and hit it, tearing it to bits.  
"And to think… that could've been you!" Anya smirked.  
Sellah gave her own smirk while Dmitri said to the redhead, "Hey, if we live through this, remind me to thank you! Now hurry – there's no time to lose!"  
"Oy gevalt!" Sellah cried out loud as she looked out the window and saw the damaged bridge come closer in sight, "We need to get away from that bridge quick!"  
"Here goes nothing!" Dmitri said as he took the chain and flung it out of the car, "Brace yourselves!" As the chain went out, the hook bounced along the tracks until it took hold of one of the railroad ties. Then, the car separated as it turned sideways, coming to a slow halt.  
"Well, this is our stop!" Anya told her friends. Vladimir took Pooka in his arms while Sellah held onto Anya's hand, and Anya held Dmitri's hand. Together, everyone jumped out of the car and landed into a little snowbank.  
They then watched as the train sped away before it melted into a ball of fire, fell off the tracks, and went down the gorge. Moments later, a loud explosion was heard from inside the gorge, and a cloud spewed up into the sky.


	11. Chapter 11

Back in his dark realm, Rasputin was watching the friends through a magic puff of smoke. "I hate trains!" Dmitri grumbled, "Remind me to never take the train again!"  
"Likewise!" Sellah added before the vision disappeared.  
"NOOOOO!" Rasputin shrieked with anger and defeat.  
"Wow, take it easy, sir!" Bartok told his master, "You know, sir, really! You should watch your blood pressure! My nephew Izzy just keeled over one day, mid-mango! Stress – it's a killer, sir! And he's a fruit bat – no meat! No blood, even!"  
The undead man looked at his bat lackey for a moment, but then he went back to ranting, "How could they let her escape?! And why did that Jewish rat interfere? I'll get her, too, mark my words!"  
"Ha, wow," Bartok chuckled nervously, "Eh, you're right. It's very upsetting, sir." He picked the reliquary up with his feet and continued, "Oh, I guess this reliquary thing's broken!" The bat then fitted the reliquary up with his feet and tossed away.  
Rasputin gasped as his eyes widened with fear, and he shouted, "You idiot!" He then lunged forward to catch his most sacred possession, but instead, his hand got free of his arm and got the device moments before the reliquary shattered to bits on the floor.

As he got up and reattached his hand, Rasputin looked down at Bartok with a glare. "A-alright now, sir," the bat stammered nervously, "Take it easy there. Just remember what I said to you about stress…"  
"I sold my soul for this!" the undead man growled as he shoved his reliquary in the bat's face, "My life, my very existence depends on it, and you almost destroyed it!"  
"I get it, I get it!" Bartok panicked as he tried wriggling away, "You break it, you bought it!"  
"See that you remember, you miserable rodent!" Rasputin ordered angrily. He then picked his magic device up and let the bat drop down to the ground with a plop.  
"Oh, sure! Blame the bat!" Bartok sulked, "We're easy targets for hanging… ar…"  
"What are you muttering about?" his master asked.  
"Anastasia and her Jewish friend, sir," the bat answered, "Just wishing I could do the job for you." He then started showing Rasputin some poorly done karate skills as he explained, "Sir, I'd give them a HA! Then a hi-YAH! And then a WOOWAH! And I'd kick them, sir!"  
Rasputin just shook his head in disgust before he looked at his reliquary, making his eyes light up. "Oh, I have something else in mind," he smirked, "Especially for that Romanov witch! Something more enticing – something more cruel…" As he evilly smirked, he let his fingernail screech over his reliquary like it was a chalkboard."

* * *

**Boston, Massachusetts, USA**  
On a lively street, automobiles and horses with carts were moving in the street while vendors (many of them Jewish immigrants or Jewish Americans) were going about their business by selling things, laughing, and arguing. Over by a bakery, two men were standing beside a booth that was covered in cards, a top hat, and colorful cloths. They both had on brown and white suits, as well as Jewish yarmulkes on their heads. One man had light brown hair and blue eyes and the other one had ginger hair and brown eyes. Those men happened to be Sellah's older brothers, Fyvush and Mottel, who were used to have jobs for a watchmaker, but they got recently dismissed one day; since then, they have been trying their hand at getting people to pay to watch some magic tricks. "Magic tricks!" Mottel called out, "Come and see the Rosenberg brothers' amazing tricks! Only ten cents a person!"  
One man dressed in blue passed by the stand, and Fyvush suggested to him, "Excuse me, sir, do you wanna see a…" The man had already walked off as Fyvush finished, "Magic trick?"  
"I'd take that as a no," mumbled Mottel.  
Just then, a little girl walking with her mother came towards the brothers' stand. "Oh, would the little lady like to learn a trick?" Fyvush asked the mother and daughter with pleading eyes, "Only ten cents per person!"  
The little girl giggled and clapped her hands, but her mother held her back. "No, sweetie," she said with a disappointed and sad look, "We can't waist our money on some silly magic tricks. Come on."  
As the mother and daughter walked on, Fyvush sympathetically sighed, "I know how you feel. Money is so tight when you live in one of these neighborhoods. The only comforts are these." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out an old photograph of him, Mottel, and Sellah when they were children – taken one year before their parents' death. Fyvush also pulled out a piece of paper that happened to be the latest letter Sellah had sent him a few months ago.

Fyvush's thoughts of his sister were interrupted when Mottel tapped him on the shoulder and cried, "Fyvush, look! I think we have a customer!"  
Sure enough, a fat man was standing in front of the brothers' stand, rubbing his chin with wonder. "Say, you boys perform magic tricks?" the man asked.  
"Oh, yes, we sure do!" Fyvush smiled, "Mottel and I have been practicing quite a bit for the past ten or fifteen years!"  
The fat man dug into his coat pocket and pulled out a small box containing one cigar. "I'll pay you boys two dollars if you'll use your magic to concoct ten cigars to fill my box!" he smiled.  
The two brothers became dumbfounded. They never smoked a single cigar – let alone a cigarette or pipe – in their lives, and yet this man would give them a big reward if they fulfilled his task. "Um, I'm s-s-sorry, sir," Mottel stammered nervously.  
"What's wrong?" the fat man asked with a raised brow.  
Fyvush stammered, "Well, you see, we're… we've… we have…" He then groaned and finished, "We'd like to help, but we can't make up ten cigars."  
"What?!" the customer fumed, "I thought you two were magicians! I've been cheated by two street rats trying to rip me off!"  
"No, please!" Mottel began, "It's not what you think! My brother and I are very honest, and we would never…"  
"Con artists!" the fat man scoffed as he walked away, "Leave this street and go back to the alleyways where you came from!"  
"We don't live in alleyways, either!" Mottel shouted back.  
"Mottel, please," Fyvush sighed, "That pompous weasel isn't worth our time." He sadly looked at his brother and said, "Let's go home. I've had enough for today."  
Mottel looked at the forty cents he and his brother earned and sighed, "Me too."

The two brothers then packed away their things in a carpet bag, and then made their way through the less crowded street back to their apartment building. When they arrived at the building, Mottel sang in his thoughts:

_Riff-raff, street rat_  
_We don't buy that_  
_If only they'd look closer_  
_Would they see two poor men?_  
_No, siree_  
_They'd find out_  
_There's more to my brother_  
_And me!_

The two brothers climbed a flight of stairs before they reached the door to their tiny apartment. Fyvush unlocked the door, and then he and Mottel went inside. The whole place was littered with magic trick props, Jewish decorations, and all of Sellah's previous letters. Mottel bent over and picked up one letter from his sister with a sigh.  
Fyvush put his hand on Mottel's shoulder and said with a sad smile, "It's okay, brother. Believe me – someday, things will be right again. We'll see Sellah again, we'll have a better home, and all our troubles will disappear. We just have to keep having faith and hope like our ancestors did when Moses freed them from Egypt, or when the walls of Jericho fall, or when Queen Esther gathered enough courage to save her people from getting killed."  
Mottel managed to give a small, sad smile back and said softly, "I guess you're right. I just hope Sellah's doing okay."

Author's Note: The song "One Jump Ahead (reprise)" is from Aladdin ((c) Disney


	12. Chapter 12

Back in Eastern Europe, a familiar group of friends were travelling through Latvia by foot, since Dmitri had made it clear not to travel by train again. Winter was withering away and turning to spring as the sun shone over the mountains and valleys. "L'chaim!" Sellah happily sighed one day, "I'm so glad spring is here so I won't have to have wet feet from the snow so much!"  
Anya asked Dmitri, "Okay, so are we walking to Paris?"  
"We'll take a boat from Germany," the young man answered.  
"Oh, so we're walking to Germany?" the redhead asked.  
"No, your grace," said Dmitri, "We're taking a bus."  
"A bus – that's nice," Anya said sarcastically.  
"It's not so bad when you're a common serf like I am," Sellah mumbled to herself.

After walking down a path a ways, Vladimir started to beam and call out with excitement, "Sophie, my dear! Vlady's on his way!"  
"Who is Sophie?" Anya asked.  
Sellah shrugged as Vladimir answered dreamily, "Who is Sophie? Oh, she is a tender little morsel."  
"Vlad!" Dmitri warned under his breath.  
"The cup of hot chocolate after a long walk in the snow," Vladimir continued with a love-struck feeling.  
"Vlad, ix-nay on the Ophie-say!" Dmitri said with frustration.  
Both Anya and Sellah were very confused. "Is this a person or a cream puff?" Anya asked.  
"I've never heard of a Sophie cream puff before," Sellah said with a confused face.  
Humming happily, Vladimir answered with a smile, "She is the Empress's ravishing first cousin!"  
"But I thought we were going to see the Empress herself," Anya said, "Why are we going to see her cousin? Dmitri!"  
"Whoever we're seeing, count me out!" Sellah said with a nervous shiver, "If the Empress – or her cousin, for that matter – find out I'm a Jew, there's be a witch hunt for me throughout Paris!"  
"Well, no one goes near the Dowager Empress without convincing Sophie first," Dmitri answered to the girls.  
Anya just gave a frustrated huff and sat down. As Vladimir went off to pick some flowers gleefully, the redhead grumbled, "Oh, no, no, no. Not me! Nobody ever told me I had to prove I was the Grand Duchess!"  
"Look," Dmitri tried convincing, "I, uh…"  
"Show up, yes," Anya interrupted, "Look nice, fine. But lie?" She then took another glance at her necklace.  
"You don't know if it's a lie," Dmitri assured her, "What if it's true? Okay, so there's one more stop on the road to finding out who you are. I thought this was something you had to see through to the end no matter what."  
"But look at me!" Anya sighed with frustration, "I'm not exactly Grand Duchess material, here!" She then stood up and stormed away to the bridge where Vladimir was at.  
Sellah looked at Dmitri sternly and asked him, "Besides, how could such a cruel family like the Romanovs have raised someone like her?" Then she turned away to stare at Anya.

Dmitri sighed and asked Sellah, "Look, maybe it's none of my business, but do you wanna tell me what's going on? First you wanna go to Paris, and now all of a sudden, you don't feel like helping your friend anymore – is that the deal?"  
Sellah clinched her fists together, ready to punch the man, but she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She let her fists go and then looked at Dmitri. "I'm sorry," she said to him, "It's just that…" She stopped to sigh as she continued, "My people and I have been despised and prosecuted by the royals for years. As a matter of fact, before I even met Anya, my parents were killed by Cossacks."  
Dmitri looked at Sellah with sympathy; he remembered the day when he saw her getting harassed by some officers back in Russia, but then he shook away the memory and said, "But you've got the courage to go with Anya all the way to Paris – that's where the Empress lives – and you wanna help Anya find out who she is."  
"I'm not saying that she is truly the Grand Duchess," Sellah replied, "I agree with you – maybe she is the princess, and maybe not. What I'm saying is this – when we get to Paris, we can NOT let the Empress or any of her subjects know that I'm Jewish." She felt her necklace charm and said, "I know a good place among my belongings on where to hide this Star of David when the time comes." She looked back over at Anya on the bridge and said, "Please excuse me a minute."  
Dmitri nodded at her as she walked off, and then began thinking of something.

Over on the bridge, Anya was looking down at the flowing water below when Vladimir and Sellah joined her. "What's wrong, Anya?" Sellah asked as she placed her hand on the redhead's shoulder.  
"Oh, nothing," Anya mumbled as she turned away from her friend.  
Vlad came over with a wild rose he had picked and said to the redhead, "Tell me, child, what do you see?"  
Anya looked at her reflection, showing her rags and messy ponytail as she calmly mumbled, "I see a skinny little nobody with no past and no future."  
"Well, I see someone I've always looked up to as a sister," Sellah said with a small smile, "And she's standing next to an outcast girl who worships differently than you. But we stayed with each other for ten years, and we helped each other get through the bad times and enjoy the good times."  
Vladimir looked at Anya and told her, "I see an engaging and fiery young woman who, on a number of occasions, has shown a regal command equal to any royal in the world." He looked at Sellah and said to her, "As for you, little Sellah, I see a rebellious dreamer who has great potential when she goes to Paris. I've heard that you enjoy dancing and magic tricks – both Paris and America have many opportunities for an aspiring young lady such as yourself."  
Sellah managed a slightly bigger grin as she said, "Well, thank you, Vladimir. And hopefully, when we reach Paris, I will find a good agent or manager who respects Jews, and then I will work hard to make enough money to go to America and see my brothers again!"  
"That's right!" Vladimir beamed, "And by the way, I have known my share of royalty. You see, my children, I was a member of the Imperial Court."  
"Hmm," Anya mumbled as she kept looking at her reflection in the water.  
"And do you think I'm evil?" Sellah asked Vlad when she heard his mention of the Imperial Court.  
"Oh, no, my child," Vladimir gasped before he told her, "You are very kind, and strong-willed, and-and…"  
"And Jewish," Sellah finished, "So then, maybe the royals were wrong about me and my people?"

At that moment, Dmitri came to check on Vlad and the girls. The young man approached Anya and asked her, "So, are you ready to become the Grand Duchess Anastasia?" Anya just turned away from him with a frown, because she wasn't completely sure he was being honest with her. "What?" Dmitri asked.  
"You had better not deceive us," Sellah warned him softly.  
"There's nothing left for you back there," Vladimir said to the redhead, "Everything is in Paris."  
Anya looked at Sellah, and then looked at the two men as she thought of something. Finally she smiled, "Gentlemen, start your teaching!"  
Sellah grinned as Vladimir smiled, "I remember it well." He looked up at the clouds in the sky as he sang:

_You were born in a palace by the sea_  
**Anya:** _A palace by the sea_  
_Could it be?_  
**Vladimir:** _Yes, that's right!_  
_You rode horseback when you were only three!_  
**Anya:** _Horseback riding? Me?_  
**Vladimir:** _And the horse_  
**Dmitri:** _He was white!_  
**Vladimir:** _You made faces and terrorized the cook!_  
**Dmitri:** _Threw him in the brook!_  
**Anya:** _Was I wild?_  
**Dmitri:** _You wrote the book!_  
**Vladimir:** _But you behaved when your father gave that look!_  
**Dmitri:** _Imagine how it was_  
**Vladimir:** _Your long forgotten past!_  
**Both Men:** _We've lots and lots to teach you, and the time is going fast!_

"You can do this, Anya!" the Jewish girl smiled at her friend.  
"Alright, I'm ready!" Anya said with complete confidence.

First, the men and Sellah took Anya over to a giant, fallen log that acted as a bridge over a chasm in front of a waterfall. The first rule of being a proper princess was having good posture and balance. As everyone walked carefully among the log, Anya balanced some twigs upon her head as some animals came to join the friends.

**Vladimir:** _Now, shoulders back and stand up tall_  
**Dmitri:** _And do not walk but try to float_  
**Anya:** _I feel a little foolish, am I floating?_  
**Vladimir:** _Like a little boat_  
**Dmitri:** _You give a bow_  
**Anya:** _(practicing bowing) What happens now?_  
**Vladimir:** _Your hand receives a kiss (kisses her hand)_  
**Both Men:** _Most of all, remember this!_  
**Vladimir:** _If I can learn to do it_  
_You can learn to do it_  
**Dmitri:** _Something in you knows it_  
**Vladimir:** _There's nothing to it_  
_Follow in my footsteps_  
_Shoe by shoe_  
**Both Men:** _You can learn to do it, too!_

Several moments later, the four friends and Pooka were travelling through the Latvian countryside in a wagon. The next step for Anya when it came to being a princess was proper etiquette.

**Vladimir:** _(to Anya) Now, elbows in_  
_And sit up straight!_  
**Dmitri:** _And never slurp the stroganoff!_  
**Anya:** _(pompously) I never cared for stroganoff!_  
**Vladimir:** _She said that like a Romanov!_  
_The samovar!_  
**Dmitri:** _The caviar!_  
**Anya:** _Dessert and then good night?_  
**Both Men:** _Not until you get this right!_

Soon, the friends were all riding horses together. As they made the horses jump over an obstacle, Dmitri fell off his horse and landed in a mud puddle; Sellah did a little giggle when she saw that.

**Vladimir:** _If I can learn to do it_  
**Dmitri:** _If he can learn to do it_  
**Vladimir:** _You can learn to do it_  
**Dmitri:** _You can learn to do it_  
**Vladimir:** _Pull yourself together_  
**Both Men:** _And you'll pull through it!_  
**Vladimir:** _Tell yourself it's easy, and it's true!_  
**Both Men:** _You can learn to do it, too!_

A while later, the friends were travelling in the back of a motor vehicle. "Next, we memorize the names of the royalty!" Vladimir said as he pulled out a large collection of photos taken of all the Romanovs.  
"I think I'll look at the country while you do that," Sellah said with a nervous smile as she turned away; she didn't really want to learn about her enemies.

**Vladimir:** _Now here we have Kropotkin_  
**Dmitri:** _Shot Potemkin!_  
**Vladimir:** _In the botkin!_  
**Anya:** Oh!  
**Vladimir:** _And dear old Uncle Vanya loved his vodka!_  
**Dmitri:** _Got it, Anya?_  
**Anya:** No!  
**Vladimir:** _The Baron Pushkin!_  
**Anya:** _He was…_  
**Dmitri:** Short!  
**Vladimir:** _Count Anatoly_  
**Anya:** _Had a…_  
**Dmitri:** Wart!  
**Vladimir:** _Count Sergei_  
**Dmitri:** _(shows a photo) Wore a feathered hat!_  
**Vladimir:** _I hear he's gotten very fat_  
**Anya:** _And I recall his yellow cat!_  
**Vladimir:** _(whispering to Dmitri) I don't believe we told her that!_

A while later, Anya and Sellah were riding on bicycles; Anya felt more and more confident as she began gaining more trust for the men. On the outside, Sellah appeared to be happy for Anya, but deep in her heart, she was pretty nervous about whether or not her best friend was part of a family who hated her people.

**Anya:** _If you can learn to do it_  
_I can learn to do it_  
**Vladimir:** _I don't know how you knew it_  
**Anya:** _I simply knew it!_  
_Suddenly I feel like someone new!_  
**Dmitri, Vladimir, and Sellah:** _Anya, you're a dream come true!_

Before long, everyone was at a harbor in Germany, and they all got ready to board a ship bound for Paris! Vladimir and Dmitri gallantly took Anya's hands and led her up the steps to the ship. Sellah followed with Pooka in her arms; before boarding, she removed her Star of David necklace and hid it inside her coat pocket.

**Vladimir:** _If I can learn to do it_  
**Dmitri:** _If he can learn to do it_  
**Vladimir:** _You can learn to do it_  
**Dmitri:** _You can learn to do it_  
**Vladimir:** _Pull yourself together_  
**Both Men:** _And you'll pull through it_  
**Vladimir:** _Tell yourself it's easy, and it's true!_  
**Both Men:** _You can learn to do it_  
**Anya and Sellah:** _Nothing to it!_  
**All:** _You can learn to do it, too!_


	13. Chapter 13

The ship, known as the _Tasha_, sailed away from Germany and travelled among the sea for Paris. Now the journey for Anya finding her family in Paris was going according to plan; Dmitri was also happy, because he was sure that he and Vladimir were going to get lots of money from the Empress now. Sellah was nervous and excited at the same – she was excited about looking for a good job in Paris, but she was also nervous about whether or not her friendship with Anya would end if Anya was the lost princess Anastasia, after all.  
On a calm afternoon at sea, Dmitri appeared before the two girls with a few things in his arms. "Oh, hello, Dmitri," Sellah greeted with a grin, "Whatcha doing?"  
Dmitri held out a dress in each of his hands and said, "I bought each of you girls a dress." One dress was teal-blue colored, and the other one was yellow and white.  
Anya looked at the blue dress and saw that it was very large. She smiled and joked, "Wow! You bought me and Sellah a couple of… tents."  
Sellah looked at the yellow dress and chuckled, "Oy vey! I must really be a nomad – travelling a long distance and taking a tent with me."  
Anya looked into the skirt of her blue dress, and Dmitri decided to play along as he spotted her from the shirt collar. "What are you looking for?" he asked with a grin.  
"The Russian Circus!" Anya chuckled, "I think it's still in here!"  
Sellah playfully dug into the skirt of her own dress and said with a muffle, "Hey, Dmitri! I think I feel like Joseph in his coat of many colors – but this one only has two colors!"  
Dmitri looked over and laughed at Sellah making a silly scene. "Alright, girls," he said, "Try them on and then meet me up on deck when you're done." Then he went back upstairs towards the deck.  
Sellah and Anya came out of their dresses, and the redhead thought to herself while Sellah softly giggled, "I haven't had this much fun joking since…" She cut herself off when she remembered the happy times with her brothers and parents. Her smiled dropped to a sad expression, and then she looked over at Anya, who went back to the cabin to change. Sellah shook the sad feeling away, and then decided to join her friend.

Up on deck, the sun was beginning to set as Dmitri and Vladimir sat a little table, playing chess. "Hmmm," the fat man thought as he looked at his pieces. He then made his move and said, "Checkmate!"  
Just then, Anya and Sellah appeared on deck, fully dressed in their new clothes. Anya had made a few notifications to her dress; it was now well-fitted with cuffed sleeves and an orange belt around the waist. She had also decided to let her hair down and keep it tied in a low ponytail by a yellow ribbon.  
Sellah had moved a few strands of her hair back and also had her hair done in a low ponytail with a yellow ribbon; she also had laces at the ends of her shirt sleeves under her dress.  
Anya cleared her throat, and Sellah asked the men with a smile, "Well, what do you think? How do we look?"  
Dmitri and Vladimir turned around and gasped with excitement as they saw the two girls smiling and showing their new dresses. "Ah, wonderful!" Vlad complimented as he clapped his hands, "Marvelous! Now that you're dressed for a ball, you will learn to dance for one, as well." He turned to his friend and said, "Dmitri?"  
The young man was still awed at Anya's new look. He tried saying, "But I'm not very good at it…" Anya just held her arms out, ready to dance.  
Sellah gave Dmitri a smug grin and said, "Come on. If she can learn about her past, then you can learn to dance."  
Dmitri got up and then awkwardly positioned himself beside Anya. Vladimir stood back to count them off as they began dancing. "And… one, two, three," Vlad counted, "One, two, three." Just then, he saw Anya leading the waltz. "No, no, Anya," he reminded, "You don't lead. Let him lead."  
Sellah sat in Dmitri's chair as Pooka watched beside her with his ears perked up. "Oh, this is looks like a fairy tale," Sellah softly sighed with delight.

As he and the redhead girl danced, Dmitri felt very anxious. "That dress is really beautiful," he said to Anya.  
"You think so?" Anya asked.  
"Yes," the young man replied, "I-I mean it was nice on the hanger, but it looks even better on you." He immediately regretted saying that as he quickly corrected himself, "You-you should wear it."  
"I am wearing it," Anya reminded him.  
"Oh, right, of course," said Dmitri, "Of course you are. I-I'm just trying to give you a…"  
"A compliment?" Anya guessed.  
"Of course, yes."  
It wasn't long before the two of them started to dance slowly and gracefully. As the sun started sinking lower and lower beneath the clouds, the couple danced beautifully as Sellah watched with loving eyes, and Vladimir sang with wonder and worry:

_It's one, two, three_  
_And suddenly_  
_I see it at a glance_  
_She's radiant_  
_And confident_  
_And born to take this chance_  
_I taught her well_  
_Planned it all_  
_I just forgot… romance!_  
_Vlad, how could you do this?_  
_How will we get through this?_  
_(looking at Pooka) I never should have let them dance!_

Watching Dmitri and Anya dance gave Sellah not only a feeling of happiness, but it also reminded her of how her eldest brother, Fyvush, would talk about wanting to find the perfect wife one day to settle down with and love. Sellah decided to get up from the chair, and then slowly came to a railing where she gazed at the sunset and started singing:

_Somewhere out there_  
_Beneath the bright sunlight_  
_Someone's thinking of me_  
_And loving me tonight_

In Boston, Massachusetts, it was still the morning as Mottel looked out his apartment window and thought about Sellah while Fyvush was out looking for work. As he gazed into the sky, he sang hopefully:

_Somewhere out there_  
_Someone's saying a prayer_  
_That we'll find one another_  
_In that big somewhere out there!_  
_And even though I know_  
_How very far apart we are_  
_It helps to think we might be wishing_  
_On the same bright star!_

Back on the _Tasha_, Sellah began to dream about her brothers, and imagined that she was sitting on a cloud, while Fyvush and Mottel each sat on their own separate cloud.

**Sellah:** _And when the night wind_  
_Starts to sing a lonesome lullaby_  
_It helps to think we're sleeping_  
_Underneath the same big sky!_  
**Sellah, Fyvush, and Mottel:** _Somewhere out there_  
_If love can see us through_  
_Then we'll be together_  
_Somewhere out there_  
_Out where dreams come true!_

Sellah's fantasy was interrupted when she heard Anya say to Dmitri, "I'm feeling a little… dizzy." She looked over and saw her friends slowing their dance to a stop.  
"Kind of lightheaded?" Dmitri asked the redhead.  
"Yeah," said Anya.  
"Me too," agreed the young man, "Probably from all the spinning." He and Anya came to a stop as he suggested, "Maybe we should stop?"  
"We have stopped," Anya softly stated. At that moment, the two of them locked eyes with each other for quite a while.  
Sellah smiled as Dmitri and Anya prepared to kiss, but then the young man said, "Anya? I…"  
"Yes?" the redhead asked.  
At that moment, Pooka started barking, breaking the two from their spell. "You're doing fine," Dmitri finished before he slowly walked away from the deck.  
Anya watched him with a confused look as Sellah asked herself, "What's gotten into him?"

Author's Note: The song "Somewhere Out There" is from An American Tail. ((c) Universal)


	14. Chapter 14

Later that night, the sun was now sinking lower in the sky while the _Tasha_ started swaying a little more than it did before. Inside one of the cabins, Anya was dressed in periwinkle pajamas, and her hair was left down with a periwinkle bow in the back. Sellah had her hair tied back in a low ponytail as she donned a pair of yellow-tan pajamas. The two girls were sitting by a bed with Vladimir sitting next to them; Anya brushed her hair while Sellah was reading a new book she bought in Germany (it was _A Little Princess_ by Frances Hodgson Burnett). Dmitri was already asleep in a cot on the floor. Vladimir moaned a little bit, because he wasn't used to swaying motion, and it was clear that he was feeling a little sick.  
"Oh, are you alright?" Anya asked him.  
"Oh, I'm fine," Vlad answered, "Just riddled with envy."  
"Over what?" Sellah asked as she looked up from her book.  
Vladimir looked at her sickly, immediately answering Sellah's question as the Jewish girl looked over a Dmitri, who was sleeping like a baby.  
"Look at him," Vladimir told the girls, "He can sleep through anything."  
"I wonder if he can sleep through a loud, ringing bell?" Sellah wondered aloud, "Like those fireman's bells my brothers write about in their letters."  
Pooka, meanwhile, climbed on top of Dmitri's backpack, and then something fell out from inside it.

The gold and green bejeweled object rolled its way towards Anya and stopped at her feet. Anya picked the little box up and started sensing some recollection as she admired it lovingly.  
Sellah was also curious about the object, as she also leaned towards her friend to study it. "What is that?" she asked softly with awe, "It's so beautiful."  
"Pretty jewelry box, isn't it?" Vladimir asked with a smile.  
"Jewelry box?" Anya repeated as visions of dancers went around her head, "Are you sure that's what it is?"  
"What else could it be?" asked Vlad.  
"Oh, well, something else," Anya wondered out loud, "Something special… something to do with a secret."  
"It could be one of those boxes to hide written notes that you want to keep secret," Sellah suggested, "But one thing's for sure. It looks like it's locked, and… you might need some kind of… key."  
Just then, Anya laughed and said, "Is that possible?" She looked down and saw Pooka licking her toes with his tongue, wanting some attention.  
"Anything is possible," Vladimir said to the redhead, "You taught Dmitri how to waltz, didn't you?"  
"He has a point, Anya," Sellah said with a grin.  
Anya nodded and then slowly got up to put the bejeweled object back in Dmitri's sack.

Sellah laid down a little cot upon the floor, close to the bunk beds, and smiled at Anya as she came back to get some shut-eye. Sellah then dug into her own cot and pulled out her old Jewish Bible. While the caramel-haired girl was reading about Queen Esther, the redhead gently tapped Sellah on the shoulder and whispered, "Good night, Sellah. Pooka and I are gonna retire for the night."  
Sellah looked up from her book and quietly responded, "Very well, Anya. Besides, you need your sleep, because Dmitri says we have a big day tomorrow!"  
Anya gave a small smile and said, "Yeah." She looked down and saw Pooka pawing at her legs, wanting to be picked up. The redhead smiled at the puppy as she bent over and took him in her arms. Then the two of them climbed into the lower bunk, while Vladimir decided to take the top bunk.  
"Sleep well, your majesty," Vladimir softly said to Anya with a smile as he looked down upon her.  
"Good night, Vladimir," Sellah told him as she looked up from her Bible with a smile.  
As Vlad laid down, his large body squashed Pooka, who was resting on top of Anya. As the puppy struggled to get free, Anya giggled and gave Vlad a little nudge with her foot, setting the puppy free. "Sweet dreams, Pooka," Anya softly told her furry friend as they got themselves comfortable to sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, in his dark domain, Rasputin was watching a vision of Anya and Pooka sleeping together while Bartok commented, "There she is, Master. Fast asleep in her little bed!"  
Rasputin gave a wicked smirk and sneered, "And pleasant dreams to you, Princess. I'll get inside your mind, where you can't escape me! And the Jewish girl shall sleep on, not noticing that her forbidden friend will perish soon."  
Then, the smoke surrounding the vision gave pictures of lakes, trees, flowers, palaces, and a few familiar faces. Giving an evil chuckle, Rasputin gathered the images in his hands, and then blew them up into the sky, ready to terrorize the unsuspecting Anya…


	15. Chapter 15

Back on the ship, Rasputin's green smoke went down below deck, hoping to find Anya. It went towards Dmitri and Sellah first, but realized that neither of those two were the target. After circling around her shoes, the smoke found Anya sleeping in her bed, giving a yawn. The smoke circled the redhead as Anya smiled in her sleep, and then the wicked magic transformed into fluttering colorful butterflies.  
_Anya dreamed about waking up in a green field, surrounded by trees and a palace peeking behind her. She was now wearing a white and blue wading dress for water activities; Anya looked around and saw sunny skies, as well as a young boy in a sailor-like suit. Butterflies surrounded the little boy as he walked over to Anya with a smile and a wave. Anya returned her own wave as the little boy gestured for the butterflies to come towards her. The redhead girl became so amazed by the beautiful creatures, and wanted to follow them._  
As she slept, Anya began to walk out of bed with her eyes still closed, since she was following the butterflies.

Pooka, meanwhile, woke up with a start when he heard the cabin door open and close; he knew something was wrong with his mistress! While Anya sleepwalked through the swaying ship's hallways (a storm was literally brewing outside), Pooka barked and clawed at the closed cabin door; the noise woke up Sellah.  
"Pooka, what's going on?" the Jewish girl groggily asked as she slowly opened her eyes. Pooka kept whining as Sellah turned to over to Anya's bed, and then gasped, "Oh no!"  
Pooka and the caramel-haired girl turned their attention to Dmitri; the puppy barked while Sellah urgently whispered, "Dmitri! Dmitri, wake up!"  
The young man just mumbled and turned over, ignoring them.  
On the ship's deck, rain was pouring from the sky while thunder and lightning clashed together. Anya, who was completely unaware of the violently swaying ship and storm, kept her eyes closed as she made her way towards the deck.

_In her dream, Anya followed the little boy and the butterflies as she picked a few daffodils. "Come on!" the young boy encouraged. Anya gathered her flowers and followed the happy boy to a cleanly carved gorge. When they got there, Anya saw three other women who all looked a little older than she was, but they still resembled her in many ways. The girls were dressed in pink, green, and yellow wading clothes as they laughed and waved to Anya. Then, the girls jumped off the cliff and into some water below._  
Back in reality, Anya had climbed onto the ship's railing, near the edge of the ship. She still kept her eyes closed, and a smile even though the ship thrust her back and forth.  
In the cabin, Sellah decided to put her weight upon Dmitri while Pooka kept barking; this time, the man moaned and groggily complained, "Sellah! Pooka! What is it?"  
Pooka barked with urgency while Sellah stammered, "Dmitri… i-it's Anya! She-she's gone!"  
Dmitri looked over and saw that Anya's bed was empty, making him gasp with shock, "Anya? ANYA!" He turned to the Jewish girl and asked, "Where'd she go?"  
"Pooka was scratching at the door," Sellah explained breathlessly, "I-I think she's… on deck! We have to find her!"  
After opening the cabin door, Dmitri and Sellah ran through the hallway, calling Anya's name; eventually they made it to the deck, where they saw the redhead precariously balancing on the edge of the railing!

_In her dream, Anya was hanging onto a flower-covered vine attached to a tree in the precipice overlooking the water below. As her hair blew in the wind, Anya sweetly grinned as the little boy pointed to the family floating in the water below. The father looked upward and called to Anya, "Hello, sunshine!"_  
_"Hello!" Anya happily replied with a wave._  
_Soon the young women and the father started encouraging Anya to jump into the water with them. "Jump in!" the father called, "Jump!"_  
_The little boy happily jumped off the edge and into the water below, making everyone, including Anya, giggle._  
Back in the real world, Anya was holding onto the guide line, inching closer and closer to falling to her death!  
Sellah, meanwhile, pointed a familiar figure out to Dmitri and cried, "There she is! She's gonna fall!"  
Dmitri turned and yelled, "Anya!" He motioned for Sellah to say put while he ran after the redhead.  
"DMITRI, LOOK OUT!" Sellah exclaimed with fear; she saw a giant wave, and sure enough, the wave tossed Dmitri away from Anya and all the way to the crow's nest.  
Dmitri got up and saw Anya near the railing of the ship. "Anya! Anya, stop!" he cried out desperately, "ANYA, NOOO!"  
"DON'T JUMP!" Sellah screamed; she failed to notice a wave roaring behind her onto the deck. It was too late as the wave pounded onto Sellah, and then drove her away, making her dangle onto a different railing by her hands!  
Dmitri saw the wave and cried, "Sellah! Hang on!"  
At the railing, Sellah's hair came undone, and she kept a tight grip onto the rail while she used her feet to try and plant firmly onto the ship's side (despite all the slippery water). The Jewish girl then struggled to move her right leg onto the rail, but she pulled through and then climbed back onto the deck; this time, she clung tightly onto the side of the rail facing the deck, and gasped in horror as she saw Anya getting ready to jump!

_Back in the dream, the father looked at Anya and said, "Yes." But suddenly, his voice changed harsher as he transformed into Rasputin and ordered, "JUMP!"_  
_Anya opened her eyes and gasped with shock. The beautiful scenery then transformed into a hellish atmosphere; the redhead girl stood on top of a column of skulls while the water turned into green fire!_  
_"The Romanov curse!" Rasputin yelled as he transformed into a god-like creature and towered over Anya, "Jump! JUMP!"_  
_The poor girl screamed with terror as some demons circled her and grabbed her arms, ordering her to jump to her death! But then, two demons took her sides and held her back..._  
In reality, Dmitri was pulling Anya away from the railing as he cried, "Anya! Anya! Anya, wake up! Wake up!"  
Sellah, who was soaking wet from the wave, ran over to Anya and asked worriedly, "Anya! Are you okay? Wake up!"  
Anya's eyes quickly sprung open, jolting herself awake; she was horrified by what she had almost done in her sleep. Dmitri and Sellah slowly and carefully took her away from the railing and back onto the deck. The redhead flung her arms around Dmitri as she shook with fear and stammered, "The Romanov curse! The Romanov curse!"  
"The curse?" Dmitri asked, "What are you talking about?"  
"Dmitri, please!" Sellah said, "She's obviously traumatized by this experience." She turned to Anya and gently said, "Shhh. It's okay. Tell us what happened."  
"I kept seeing faces, so many faces!" Anya said as tears flooded her eyes; she then buried her face into Dmitri and started crying.  
"It was only a nightmare," Dmitri gently assured as he hugged her, "It's all right. You're safe now."  
"I'm sorry, Anya," Sellah said with sympathy as she put her arms around her friends.


	16. Chapter 16

At his lair, Rasputin watched with fury and defeat as he saw an image of Dmitri and Sellah comforting Anya after her near-death experience. The undead man put his fingers into his eyes, pulled his neck with rage, and moaned with anger and defeat. Bartok walked away with fright as his master screamed, "NOOOOO! NOT AGAIN!"  
The albino bat jolted at Rasputin's outburst and coaxed nervously, "Easy, Master! Wow… this is no time to lose your head."  
Rasputin then heaved a heavy sigh, trying to control himself. "I am calm," he sighed heavily as he let his neck to back to normal size before allowing his head to go inside his body, "I am heartless… I have no feeling whatsoever…"  
"Sir?" said Bartok as he started to look inside his master's body.  
Rasputin had his head resting in his stomach acid as he wondered out loud, "I feel a sudden onset of clarity, Bartok." He clearly had another diabolical plot in mind as he continued, "I'll have to kill her myself – and get rid of that Yiddish-talking scavenger who tags along with her once and for all! After all, everyone knows how much the Imperial family hated her people!"  
Bartok was confused for a moment, but then he realized what his undead master was thinking. "What?" he asked, "You mean… physically?"  
"You know what they say," the undead man assured, "If you want something done right…"  
Bartok's eyes widened as he said with shock, "But that means… going topside?!"  
"Exactly!" Rasputin said as he brought his head out from his body; the head was on backwards, so he adjusted it to the front as he continued, "I have so many fond memories of Paris. And killing the last of the Romanovs with my own hands, will be so de…licious!" As he said this, he tortured a little green bug for a few minutes, and finished as he let the bug go running off, "And to be rid of a Jewish snake – that makes it even more exciting!" He then wrapped a cloak around himself and sprayed some cologne onto his neck as he chimed, "Time to go!"  
"But you're dead!" Bartok protested, "You're falling apart! How do you expect to get to Paris in one piece?"  
"I thought we'd take the train!" Rasputin grinned before he laughed deviously. He grabbed onto the bat and lifted his reliquary high in the air; as thunder and lightning clashed, smoke began to fill the air as Rasputin shot up high towards the surface.

* * *

Back in Boston, Fyvush and Mottel were ready to start another day of trying to do magic tricks for money. As he helped his brother set up the stand, Mottel said with very little hope, "Gee, Fyvush, I hope today goes better than that one time."  
"I hope so, too," Fyvush assured his brother, "But you know what? I'll bet you that Sellah is out of that orphanage and off to better things right about now.  
"Who knows?" Mottel added as his expression turned to hope, "Maybe she's found someone who appreciates our people, and she's working for that person so that she can come to America!"  
Fyvush laid a cloth onto the countertop of their stand and chuckled, "Mottel, you're letting your imagination run away with you!" His expression dropped as he added, "But maybe things haven't changed? I heard that Russia's been under communist rule since the end of the Revolution there. That awful czar is gone, but I hear they have an even more ruthless leader there – he probably hates our people even more than the royals did!"  
Just then, a mail carrier came up to the brothers and asked, "Excuse me, are you two Fyvush and Mottel Rosenberg?"  
"Yes, sir," Mottel answered.  
"Well, I have a letter for you two," the mail carrier said as he reached into his sack and pulled a letter out, "Shalom to the both of you."  
Since the mail carrier was Jewish like they were, Fyvush and Mottel thanked him with grins as he went on his way.

The two brothers both looked at the envelope for a long time, knowing that it would be from their sister. "Open it up, Fyvush!" Mottel whispered with excitement.  
Fyvush carefully tore the top of the envelope with his finger, and then pulled out the letter. Then the two brothers read:  
_Dear Fyvush and Mottel,_  
_Good news! I have just left the orphanage with a friend of mine named Anya. Anya wants to go to Paris, France in order to find out who she is, because when she first met me, she had severe amnesia, and her only clue is a necklace that reads, "Together in Paris."_  
_I agreed to come along with her and help, but I will also see if I can find a job somewhere in the city of lights so that I can be one step closer to seeing you two again. How are you doing in Boston? What kinds of plans do you have for me when I reach America?_  
_I wish to see you soon!_  
_Hevenu Shalom Alechem,_  
_Sellah_

After reading the letter, the two brothers looked at each other with amazement, and said with disbelief in unison, "Paris, France?"  
"I hope our sister doesn't get into too much trouble there," Mottel said with a slightly worried expression.  
"Don't worry, brother," Fyvush assured, "She'll be fine! Hopefully more people there will have more respect for her and our people."  
Mottel wasn't too sure about this, so he suggested, "Fyvush, I think… we might need to find a new real job soon."  
"Why do you say that?" Fyvush asked with a raised brow.  
"Because," Mottel answered with a thoughtful look, "I think Sellah might be in France by now. It takes a while for these letters to come all the way to America from Europe, let alone Russia."  
"That is true," Fyvush nodded with understanding.  
"So I'm thinking," the younger brother continued as a sly smile slowly appeared on his face, "That we might need to take a vacation, ourselves… to Paris…"


	17. Chapter 17

**Paris, France**  
The sun shone brightly upon many buildings on a quiet street one morning. Eventually we come to a very stately manor, where the elderly Dowager Empress Maria and her cousin (and lady-in-waiting) Sophie were visited by someone who resembled Grand Duchess Anastasia, but not exactly like her. "Hmmm? Ah, yes," the young woman said, "I remember it so well. Uncle Yashim was from Moscow. Uncle Boris was from…"  
The Empress was sitting in a chair at her study, having to watch yet another imposter of her lost granddaughter; Sophie and her pet cat were sitting across the room as they also watched the young woman speak.  
"…Odessa," the young woman continued, "And every spring…"  
Empress Maria raised her hand and finished for her, "We would take picnics by the shore every Sunday." She then stared at the light through the windows and questioned the woman, "Haven't you anything better to do?"  
Sophie then escorted the crying woman to the door and said, "Oh, dear, you have to leave now, yes? Goodbye."  
As the woman left, Maria softly muttered as she waved her hand a bit, "No more. No more."  
Sophie, meanwhile, went over to fetch a pot of tea for the Empress and apologized sincerely, "Oh, I must say, I am so sorry. I thought that one surely was for real. Well, she was real – I mean, she was human, of course. But not our real!" She turned to glance at a photograph of Anastasia on the desk, and then she placed a dish of tea down for her cat. The cat sniffed at the plate, only to turn away from it in disgust.  
Sophie turned back to Maria and assured with determination, "But we won't be fooled next time! No, I'm going to think of really hard questions!" The curvy blonde then placed a sugar cube in her cat's tea, hoping to convince it; this time, the cat grinned and then lapped the tea up.  
The Empress, meanwhile, had had enough. Losing her granddaughter had turned her into a grumpy and miserable old soul. "No," she said with a frown, "My heart can't take it anymore!" She decided to have one last look of Anastasia's photograph before settling on the ultimate decision. "I will see no more girls claiming to be Anastasia!" Her expression turned to sadness as she moved the photograph face down and lost all faith and hope for finding her granddaughter.

* * *

As the morning turned into the afternoon, the sun still shone bright as a familiar quartet and their dog made their way to Sophie's estate in a motorcar. Dmitri and Vladimir were doing some last minute preparations on Anya, while Sellah decided to hide her Star of David necklace deep in her pocket so certain people wouldn't notice. "Well, three days ago," Anya said to her friends, "I didn't have any past at all, and now I'm trying to remember an entire lifetime!"  
"That's why you've got me!" Dmitri assured her, "Now, where was Uncle Boris from?"  
"Moscow?" Anya guessed.  
Sellah, meanwhile, was fidgeting with her hands, wondering what would happen if Anya was, in fact, Anastasia. _No matter what happens,_ she thought, _I can't let the Empress or anyone else who associates with her that I'm Jewish._  
Eventually, the group arrived at Sophie's estate. Dmitri saw Sellah with her head hung low and gently assured, "Hey, everything's gonna be okay. Anya and Vlad and I have your back if ANYTHING happens."  
Vlad gave the caramel-haired girl his own assuring smile as he walked up to knock on the front door. Sellah managed a small smile, but she was still a bit cautious.

Vladimir knocked on the door, and a maid answered it. "Oui, monsieur?" she asked.  
Just then, Sophie came over and noticed the large man. Vlad gave a big smile as he held his arms out and cried, "Sophie Stanislovskievna Somorkov-Smirnoff!"  
"Vladimir Vanya Voinitsky…" Sophie stammered before finishing, "Vasilovich. Well, this is unexpected." She noticed the others and said, "Oh, but look at me – where are my manners? Come in, come in, everyone." She gestured them to the door as she finished, "I'm palpitating with excitement, and shock, and surprise – all three!"  
As everyone went inside, Pooka was about to join them when the door suddenly shut upon him. Shaking his head, the little puppy ran up to the threshold of the window and decided to peek inside.  
In the drawing room, Anya posed with such poise and regality. "May I present," Vladimir announced, "Her Imperial Highness, the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna!"  
Sellah gave a smile to her friend while Sophie gasped, "Oh, my heavens! She certainly does look like Anastasia… but so did many of the others."  
Anya took a seat on the sofa, while Sellah sat next to her for encouragement. "You can do this, Anya," Sellah whispered with a smile.  
"Now, where were you born?" Sophie asked the redhead, beginning her test.  
"At the Peterhoff Palace," Anya answered.  
"Correct," said Sophie.

Several hours had passed. Outside, Pooka was pacing in a box of flowers, creating a little path in the grass. Inside, Sophie asked, "Now how does Anastasia like her tea?"  
"I don't like tea," Anya answered politely, "Just hot water with lemon."  
"Good," said Sophie. She turned to Sellah and asked her, "Would you care for tea, my dear?"  
"_Da, pozhaluysta_," Sellah answered, "I'll have some with cream and sugar."  
A few minutes later, everyone was having tea as Sophie decided to ask Anya one last question. "Finally," the curvy woman smiled, "You'll find this as an impertinent question, but indulge me." She leaned in closer to Anya and asked, "How did you escape during the siege at the palace?"  
Dmitri and Vladimir looked at each other anxiously; they didn't think about asking Anya that question! Sellah put her hands to her mouth, hoping that Anya would do good and answer as honest as possible.  
The red-haired girl was silent for a moment, but then she answered as she placed her cup down, "Well… There was a boy. A boy who worked at the palace…" She held her hand up as she continued, "He opened a wall…"  
Dmitri, who was standing by the fireplace, perked up at the mention of a young boy opening a wall. For some reason, that boy working in the palace and opening a hole in the wall seemed VERY familiar, like he might've seen it before…

Realizing that her statement couldn't have possibly made sense, Anya shook her head and said with disbelief, "No, I'm sorry – that's crazy! Walls opening?"  
Then it hit Dmitri. He really had seen something like that before. He remembered being at the palace, and he remembered a wall opening. The young man slowly walked out of the drawing room and made his way outside towards the garden.  
"I wonder what's wrong with him?" Sellah whispered with concern when she saw Dmitri walk out. She looked over at Sophie, raised her hand, and asked in a polite tone, "May I be excused, Miss?"  
"Oh, yes, go ahead," Sophie told the Jewish girl with a smile.  
As Sellah left to find Dmitri, Vladimir turned to Sophie and asked, "So is she a Romanov?"  
"Well, she answered every question," Sophie stated while Anya gave a hopeful grin.  
"You hear that child?" Vlad said to Anya with excitement, "You did it!"  
Anya was full of hope as Vlad asked Sophie, "So when do we see the Empress?"  
"I'm afraid you don't," Sophie answered.  
"Come again, my pet?" the large man asked.  
"The Empress simply won't allow it," the blonde stated.  
"Now, Sophie, my bright diamond," Vladimir said as he took her hands, "Surely you can think of some way to arrange a brief interview with the Dowager. I refuse to budge until an answer occurs to you. Please."  
Sophie thought long and hard, and then suddenly, she got an idea. "Do you like the Russian ballet?" she asked, "I believe they're performing in Paris tonight – the Dowager Empress and I love the Russian ballet. We never miss it!"  
The curvy blonde smiled at Vladimir, who seemed to agree with that idea.

Outside, Sellah found Dmitri by some rose bushes and approached him. "Dmitri, are you okay?" the caramel-haired girl asked.  
"I can't believe it," he softly said with disbelief.  
"What happened?" Sellah asked as she looked at him.  
The young man was about to answer when Vladimir came running out into the garden with excitement. Sellah rolled her eyes and decided to go back into the house and check on Anya. "Weeee… DID IT!" Vlad cried out loud as he gave a leap into the air, "We're going to see her Imperial Highness tonight! We're going to get the ten million rubles! We're going to be ah, ah, ah…"  
"But Vlad," Dmitri said calmly, "Vlad, she is the princess."  
The large man was silent for a moment, but then he went back to his excited manner. "Anya was extraordinary!" he said, "I almost believed her and Sophie."  
"But Sellah also came out here a moment ago," Dmitri said to him, "I'm a little concerned about her, too. Who knows what'll happen if the Empress finds out she's Jewish."  
Vladimir's expression dropped before he stated, "I thought I saw her hiding most of her possessions very well in her suitcase. She hid away her star necklace in her pocket, too. But you are right – sooner or later, she…"  
His sentence was cut off when he saw Sellah come back outside with Anya. "Sophie wants to take us shopping for the ballet!" the redhead cried with excitement, "Shopping in Paris, can you believe it?!"  
"And guess what?" Sellah added with an ecstatic grin, "I also told Sophie about wanting to be a dancer, and she wants me to do a special dance for you guys later!" She twirled around with excitement, eager to show everyone what she could do.


	18. Chapter 18

As the afternoon turned into the evening, some familiar friends exited the Chanel shop on the Avenue De Montaine in brand new attire. Anya was wearing a bright purple dress with a matching chiffon scarf and high heels, and her hair was done in a bun; Sellah was dressed in a light periwinkle dress, white pantyhose, blue shoes, a gold belt with a matching necklace, and her hair was done in a half-ponytail. The two girls looked around with excitement as the citizens of Paris were boisterous with happiness.  
"Lovers!" an accordion player announced as Dmitri (dressed in a new suit) came and took Anya's hand.  
"Ooh-la-la!" chuckled a woman who was selling some flowers.  
Sophie soon arrived to purchase some flowers for her friends; while doing so, she happily sang:

_Welcome, my friends, to Paris_  
_Here, have a flower on me!_  
_Forget where you're from_  
_You're in France! Children, come!_  
_I'll show you the French_ joi de'vivre!  
_Paris holds the key to your heart_  
_And all of Paris plays a part!_  
**Musicians:** _Just stroll two by two_  
**Flower seller:** _Down what we call La Rue!_  
**All:**_ And soon, all Paris will be singing to you!_  
_Ooh-la-la! (3x)_

The whole city started to erupt in a flurry of song and dance, giving our friends a warm, Parisian welcome!

**Maurice Chevalier:** _Paris holds the key to_ l'amour  
**Sigmund Freud:** _And not even Freud knows the cure!_  
**Aviator in Plane:** _There's love in the air!_  
**Josephine Baker:** _At the_ Follies-Bergere!  
**Pablo Picasso:** _The French have it down – to an art!_  
**All:** _Paris holds the key to your heart!_

It wasn't long before the five friends all arrived at the Moulin Rouge, where a can-can show was going to be held.

**Sophie:** _When you're feeling blue_  
_Come to_ Le Moulin  
_When your heart says, "Don't"_  
_The French say, "Do!"_  
**Can-Can Dancers:** _When you think you can't_  
_You'll find you can-can_  
_Anyone can can-can!_  
**Sophie:** _You can can-can, too!_

Onstage, the can-can girls did their famous dance as they lifted their skirts and cheered. Sophie and Vladimir decided to dance along, and then Anya offered Sellah and Dmitri to dance, too.  
Sellah shook her head with a smile and whispered, "Remember what I have later!"  
Anya nodded understandingly, and then went to join the fun, while Sellah sat with Dmitri, who was lost in thought at Anya's answers to Sophie's questions earlier.

**Dmitri:** _Paris holds the key to her past_  
_Yes, Princess, I've found you at last!_  
_No more pretend_  
_You'll be gone, it's the end_

When the friends arrived to tour the Eiffel Tower, the music and dancing became even livelier and exciting, especially down on the bright streets.

**All:** _Paris holds the key to your heart!_  
**Couturier:** _You'll be tres jolies and so smart!_  
**Isadora Duncan:** _Come dance through the night_  
**Rodin:** _And forget all your woes_  
**Parisians:** _The city of lights_  
**Gertrude Stein:** _Where a rose is a rose_  
**Sophie:** _And no one ever knows_  
**All:** _What will start_  
_Paris holds the key_  
**Dmitri:** _To her…_  
**All:** _Heart!_  
_Ooh-la-la! (2x)_

As fireworks shot in the air, all the friends arrived at the bottom of the Eiffel and Tower, and Anya realized something with a little worry. "Has anyone seen Sellah?" she asked.  
"Oh, not to worry, my dear!" Sophie assured with a smile, "She should be here any moment. Look over there!" She pointed out a little makeshift stage not too far away, where some people were gathering.  
Vladimir came over to the stage and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen! This beautiful young lady has come all the way from Russia with a dream. For tonight, she wishes to perform for all of you, especially to a special set of friends of hers! Please welcome, the Siberian rose, Miss Sellah!"  
Everyone clapped their hands as the curtains drew back, and a puff of smoke appeared, revealing a regally dressed Sellah. The Jewish girl had her hair down, and she was wearing an indigo dancing dress with puffy sleeves, white trimming, a white scarf around her waist, gold earrings and a matching necklace with a blue pendant, an indigo headband with three white beads, white stockings, and dark blue flats. Sellah stepped forward in style as she pulled out a tambourine and a transparent blue cloth with white speckles, and then she sang as she danced about:

_Hey, soldier boy_  
_I see how you stare_  
_Hey, butcher man_  
_I see you admire_  
_Come, gather round_  
_Hey, Jacques and Pierre_  
_Come see me dance_  
_To the rhythm of the tambourine!_

The caramel-haired girl played her tambourine, twirled her cloth, and lifted her skirt up a bit as she kicked her ankles into the air. "I never knew Sellah could dance so good," Dmitri whispered to Anya with a surprised grin.

_Flash of an ankle_  
_Flip of a skirt_  
_Feel them excite_  
_And flame and inspire_  
_Come, see me dance_  
_Hey, what can it hurt?_  
_It's just a dance_  
_To the rhythm of the tambourine!_

Sellah then stepped fashionably and clapped her tambourine a bit as the crowd cheered and whistled for her. After that, she spun around in a circle a few times, letting her skirt go up to her knees with the momentum; some men did wolf whistles, but the Jewish girl ignored them and kept dancing with a bright smile. In the crowd, Dmitri, Vladimir, and Anya thought to themselves in song as they watched their friend.

**Dmitri:** _This girl, who is she?_  
**Vladimir:** _This girl, who is she?_  
**Anya:** _This girl, who is she?_  
**Vladimir:** _She dances like the Devil, himself!_  
**Dmitri:** _She dances like an angel!_  
**Anya:** _An angel!_  
**Vladimir:** _But with such fire!_  
**Dmitri:** _Such fire!_  
**Anya, Dmitri, and Vladimir:** _Who is she?_

Their thoughts were interrupted when Sellah kept singing and twirling her cloth in the air. She then skipped off the stage to dance around a lamppost for a few moments, but then she leaped back onto the stage, and smiled at the crowd, giving a wink to her friends in the audience.

**Sellah:**_ Men of Paris!_  
_Before we grow old_  
_Come feel the heat_  
_Come taste the desire_  
_Feel them within you_  
_Crimson and gold_  
_Gold like the coins_  
_You will toss into my tambourine_  
_When I dance to the rhythm of the tambourine!_

Sellah stood up and bowed gracefully as everyone (especially Anya, Dmitri, Sophie, and Vladimir) applauded with great delight. Some people tossed flowers to Sellah, while others tossed some coins.  
"_Khorosho_," Sophie grinned to her friends, "Come now. We must gather our dancing star so that we can get ready for the ballet, no?"  
Onstage, Sellah gave one more bow as the people in the crowd left, and then she started picking up her flowers and coins, ready to rejoin her friends.

Author's Note: The song "Rhythm of the Tambourine" is from Disney's Broadway adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. ((c) Disney)


	19. Chapter 19

Later that night, it was time for the Russian Ballet, as many people were arriving at the opera house to watch that night's performance. Dmitri and Vladimir were waiting for the girls outside on some steps; both men were dressed in fine black and white tuxedos. Both of them (particularly Dmitri) were very anxious about presenting Anya to the Dowager Empress Maria to see if she really was the lost Grand Duchess Anastasia. The men were also worried what would happen to Sellah if Maria found out she was Jewish.  
"We don't have anything to be nervous about," Dmitri assured his friend, "She's the princess."  
"I know, I know," said Vlad, "But…"  
"No, no, no, you don't know," Dmitri stated, "I was the boy. In the palace. The one who opened the wall. She's the real thing."  
Vladimir was shocked at the young man's words, and then he realized, "That means our Anya has found her family! We have found the heir to the Russian throne! And you…" He cut himself off when he saw Dmitri looking a bit glum.  
"Will walk out of her life forever," the young man said sadly.  
"But…"  
"Princesses don't marry kitchen boys," Dmitri said, "And they certainly don't hang around Jewish people like Sellah."  
"I know," Vladimir said as he placed his hand onto his friend's shoulder, "But… Dmitri…"  
"We're going to go through with this as if nothing has changed," Dmitri concluded.  
Vlad nodded and said, "You've got to tell them."  
"Tell us what?" asked a familiar voice. The two men turned around and saw Anya and Sellah looking at them. Anya had her hair done in a high bun, and she was wearing a teal coat lined with white fur over her evening wear. Sellah had her hair down again, but she now had a yellow orange headband, gold earrings, and a rabbit fur coat over her own evening wear.  
"How… beautiful you two look," Dmitri said to the girls.  
"Well, thank you," Anya smiled.  
"Yes, thanks," Sellah said with a blushing giggle. Dmitri then took each girl's arm into each of his arms, and escorted them up the stairs to go inside the opera house.  
As he watched the three go inside, Vladimir heard another familiar voice clear her throat; he turned and saw Sophie with a smile. "Ah, Sophie!" the big man said as he took her hand; the two of them also went into the opera house.

Inside, Dmitri had just finished hanging his coat up on a hanger when he heard people oohing and awing at something. He turned around and saw Anya and Sellah standing in the middle of a staircase; Anya was wearing a sparkling dark blue evening dress with a transparent train at her back, a silver choker with matching earrings, and long, white gloves. Sellah was wearing a yellow evening gown with a gold ribbon at her waist, a white choker, and white elbow-length gloves. Dmitri just stood there in awe at the sight of the two girls, for they were both looking very beautiful.  
Sellah cleared her throat and smiled at the young man. "Shall we?" she asked gently.  
Dmitri blinked a few times in a row, and then said, "Yes."  
In the theater, Dmitri showed the girls to their seats, while Vladimir took his own seat. This is wonderful, Sellah thought to herself with wonder; It's certainly more enchanting than my synagogue back home.  
Dmitri looked to the left and gave Anya a pair of opera glasses as he whispered, "Look! There she is."  
Anya and Sellah looked over and saw the Dowager Empress sitting in her balcony with Sophie. "Please let her remember me," Anya prayed.  
Sellah just shuttered for a moment, and then looked towards the stage. "Hey, it's okay, Sellah," Dmitri assured her softly.

It wasn't long before the ballet of _Cinderella_ started. Sellah looked down and watched the performance with wonder, forgetting all about the Empress. But Anya didn't pay any attention; instead, she kept her focus on the Empress. As the minutes turned to hours, Anya tore her playbill into smaller pieces out of anxiety. Dmitri saw her and gently took her hand as he whispered in assurance, "Everything's gonna be fine."  
Anya managed a small smile; that made her a little bit better.

* * *

When the ballet ended a while later, the lights came back on, and Dmitri turned to Anya. "Come on," he said, "I guess it's time."  
But Anya was very nervous. "You can do this, Anya," Sellah told her friend with a small smile.  
"Relax," Dmitri said to the redhead, "You're gonna do great!"  
But Anya turned away. "Anya, please," Sellah said as she took her friend's hand, "Don't go. You've come all this way, and you can't just throw away all your progress. If the Empress accepts you, then just remember – no matter what happens, I will always be your friend, no matter what anyone says about me."  
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" Dmitri coaxed the redhead, "Take a deep breath. Everything's gonna be fine."

Minutes later, the two young women followed Dmitri to the entry door to Empress Maria's balcony in the mezzanine area of the opera's theater. "Wait here just a moment," the young man said to Anya, "I'll go in and announce you properly."  
Before he could go anywhere, Anya stopped him and said, "Dmitri?"  
"Yes?" answered the young man.  
The redhead sighed and said, "Look, we've been through a lot together…"  
"Uh-huh," Dmitri nodded.  
"And I just want to say…"  
"Yes?" said Dmitri.  
Sellah looked at the two with a hopeful smile, but then Anya sighed and finished to Dmitri, "Well, thank you, I guess. Yeah. Thank you for everything."  
"And I'd like to thank you, too," Sellah added to the young man.  
"Thank me for what?" Dmitri asked.  
"Oh, you know," Sellah said as she rolled her eyes a bit, "For accepting and appreciating me for who I am. And for helping me come so far so I can be reunited with my brothers soon."  
Dmitri smiled and said, "You're welcome, kid." Then something struck him and remembered something. He turned back to Anya and said, "Anya? I…"  
"Yes?" said the redhead girl.  
Dmitri became lost in thought as he wondered out loud, "I… I, uh…"  
"Yes?" Anya repeated with a raised brow.  
Dmitri stared at her for a moment, but then he finished, "I wanted to wish you good luck."  
Anya smiled and nodded while Sellah looked at him with a small smile. Dmitri looked at the door and heaved a heavy sigh. "Well… here goes," he said. Without turning back, he walked inside towards the balcony.

Dmitri then turned to close the door, but he only left it open a tiny crack. Then he turned to continue towards the balcony, but Sophie stopped him. "Please inform her majesty, the Dowager Empress," the young man said, "That I have found her granddaughter, the Grand Duchess Anastasia. She's waiting to see her just outside the door."  
On the other side of the door, Anya and Sellah decided to take a listen at Dmitri's conversation.  
Sophie gave Dmitri a small frown and said to him, "I'm very sorry, you man, but the Dowager Empress, she will see no one."  
Empress Maria had been listening to the conversation as she turned her head and looked at Dmitri with anger. "You may tell that impertinent young man that I've seen enough Grand Duchess Anastasias to last me a lifetime!" she called out to Sophie.  
Hearing this, Sophie nervously looked at the young man and softly told him, "Um, you'd better go."  
"Please," Dmitri pleaded, "Let me just…"  
"Now, if you'll excuse me," Maria ordered, "I wish to live the remainder of my lonely life in peace!"  
"Come, I'll see you to the door," Sophie said to Dmitri with a fake frown, "Come, come, now! Come to the door!" She guided the young man to the door, but when she closed the curtains, Dmitri stayed hidden and started to make his move.

Dmitri crept out from behind the curtain and sat next to Empress Maria. "Your highness, please," he begged softly, "I intend you no harm. My name is Dmitri – I used to work at the palace!"  
"Well, that's one I haven't heard," Maria scoffed sarcastically, "I must say!"  
As she got up from her seat, Dmitri stopped her and pleaded, "But, your highness, if you'll just hear me out…"  
"I know what you're after!" Maria dismissed him, "I've seen people like you – men who train young ladies in royal ways!" At the last part, she quietly pulled a rope, summoning her bodyguards.  
"No, wait!" cried Dmitri as he stopped the Empress from leaving, "Don't go! If you'll just listen…"  
"Haven't YOU been listening?" Maria inquired angrily, "I've had enough! I don't care how much you've fashioned this girl to look like her, sound like her, or even ACT like her! In the end, it is NEVER her!"  
Outside the balcony, Anya and Sellah eavesdropped; when they heard the Empress rant, each girl gave a combined look of shock and anger. "Did she just say what I THINK she said?" Sellah whispered.  
"This time, it IS her!" Dmitri pleaded to the Empress in the balcony.  
"Dmitri, I've heard of you," Maria stated with a frown, "You're a conman from St. Petersburg, who was holding auditions to find an Anastasia look-alike!"  
Outside the door, Anya gasped with disbelief and betrayal, while Sellah's eyes widened with shock.  
"But, your grace!" Dmitri argued, "We've come all this way from Russia just to see you!"  
"And others have come from Timbuktu," Maria stated sternly.  
"No, it's not that!" Dmitri said as he put his hands over the Empress's hands, "It's not what you think!"  
At that moment, Maria's guards arrived. "How much pain do you inflict on an old woman for money?" the Empress shrieked at the young man.  
Back outside the door, Sellah and Anya simultaneously gasped with shock and anger.  
Back at the balcony, the Empress ordered her guards, "Remove him at once!"

As he was escorted away, Dmitri pleaded, "But she is Anastasia! I'm telling you – she's the Grand Duchess! If you'll just hear me out!" The Empress's bodyguards then dropped Dmitri onto the floor before they walked away.  
As he got up, Dmitri gave a shocked look as he saw Anya and Sellah frowning at him. "You shmuck," Sellah muttered under her breath.  
"It was all a lie, wasn't it?" asked Anya; she had an angry expression.  
"No, no," Dmitri stammered.  
"You used me?" Anya inquired, "I-I was just part of your con… to get HER money?"  
"No, no, no, no!" Dmitri said nervously, "Look, maybe it started out that way, but listen – everything's different now, because you are Anastasia. You really are!"  
He tried taking Anya's hand, but the redhead moved away and snapped, "No – STOP IT! From the very beginning, YOU LIED! And I not only believed you, I actually… ugh!"  
As Anya walked away, Sellah watched silently with sympathy while Dmitri followed her and said, "Anya, please! Remember when you spoke about the hidden doorway, and the little boy? Listen to me! That was…"  
"NO!" Anya shouted as she lost her temper and faced him again, "I don't wanna hear about ANYTHING I said or remembered! **_YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"_ **As she turned and stormed off, Dmitri took her arm, only to get smacked in the face by her.  
The young man tried going after her, but he was held back by some people. "Anya, please!" he cried, "You have to know the truth!"  
"It's too late, you dishonest shmuck!" Sellah shot at him with a glare.

Shocked, Dmitri looked at the Jewish girl looking at him with her hands on her hips. "And what's YOUR problem?" the young man asked.  
"YOU!" Sellah shot at him, "You're not only Anya's problem, you're MY problem, too! Anya's my best friend. How dare you deceive her like that?!"  
"But what did I do to you?" Dmitri asked her.  
"I thought I trusted you after you saved me from those officers," Sellah lectured him, "But boy was I wrong! You're just another anti-Semitic thief in disguise, aren't you? I can NOT believe Anya and I were so naive to trust you all this time!" Her voice quieted down as she glared at him, "You always said you could help me, well guess what? Goodbye!" Then she walked off in an angry manner, hoping to find her friend; Dmitri just looked at her with disbelief and regret.


	20. Chapter 20

Later that night, Dmitri was outside the opera house, waiting by some stairs for the Empress to arrive. He looked over and saw her coming down some steps, ready to get into her motorcar and be driven home; the young man made his move and ran over to the car, where the chauffer was helping Maria into the car. At that moment, Dmitri came into the driver's seat and slammed his foot onto the gas pedal after closing the door. As the chauffer tried to stop him, Dmitri drove off with Maria inside the car at a high speed.  
"Ilya, slow down!" the Empress said with annoyance.  
Dmitri turned back at her angrily and sneered, "I'm not Ilya, and I won't slow down – not until you listen!" He was going to bring the Empress to Anya, no matter what.  
Recognizing him as the man she argued with earlier, Maria gasped and cried, "You! How dare you? Stop this car immediately! STOP THIS CAR!"  
Dmitri didn't listen; he kept on driving the car until he reached Sophie's estate.

After stopping, the young man got out of the car and turned to Maria with desperation and anger. "You have to talk to her!" he pleaded, "Just look at her, PLEASE!"  
"Young man, I won't be badgered by you a moment any longer!" the Empress shot at him.  
Knowing that she still didn't trust him, Dmitri decided to do something else; he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the bejeweled box. "Do you recognize this?" he asked her.  
Maria gasped, and her expression softened. "Where did you get that?" she asked speechlessly.  
"I know you've been hurt," Dmitri said as his own expression softened, "But it's possible that this red-haired girl in there has been just as lost and alone as you."  
Feeling sorry, Maria asked him, "You will stop at nothing, will you?"  
"I'm about as stubborn as you are," the young man answered with a grin.

Inside Sophie's estate, Anya was packing her suitcase, ready to leave; she no longer had her gloves or jewelry, but she had her "Together in Paris" necklace. As she fought back tears of anger and betrayal, Anya looked at the rose Dmitri gave her. It reminded her of her fun time in Paris… but also of the man who had used and lied to her; the redhead scoffed and threw the flower into a trash bin, while Sellah watched with sympathy.  
"I'm sorry, Anya," the Jewish girl said sadly, "None of this was supposed to happen."  
"It's not your fault, Sellah," Anya said, "I-I shouldn't have been so naiive and stupid!" She felt ready to cry or punch a hole in the wall, but she took a deep breath and exhaled deeply.  
Sellah looked at her with sympathy, and then the two girls heard a knock at the door. "Go away, Dmitri!" Anya grumbled, believing the caller to be the young man.  
The door opened, and Anya went over to yell at the caller; she stopped herself when she saw the Empress standing at the doorway. Sellah got a glimpse at the caller, gave a shocked look, and then silently went away to hide in a closet. She didn't exactly close the closet door all the way; instead, she kept it open just a tiny crack so she could witness what would go on.

Anya looked at the Empress and apologized, "Oh, I'm sorry. I-I thought you were…"  
"I know very well who you thought I was," Maria replied plainly, "Who exactly are you?"  
Dumbfounded, Anya stammered, "Umm… I-I was hoping you could tell me."  
Maria frowned a bit and stated, "My dear, I'm old, and I'm tired of being conned and tricked!"  
"But I don't want to trick you," Anya replied.  
"And I suppose money doesn't interest you, either?" the Empress asked with a raised brow.  
Anya just shook her head and said, "I… I just wanna know who I am. Whether or not I belong to a family – your family."  
Inside the closet, Sellah listened in and sympathized with Anya, while showing a little fear for the Dowager Empress; the caramel-haired girl could feel her stomach tying up in knots.  
The Empress, meanwhile, was briefly touched by Anya's words, but then her expression turned to a frown. "You're a very good actress," she sighed, "The best I've seen yet. But, I've had enough!" Then she turned away to leave.

As Maria started to leave, Anya recognized a familiar smell and wondered out loud, "Peppermint?"  
"An oil for my hands," the Empress replied with suspicion.  
"Yes," the redhead said quietly. She closed her eyes and tried remembering something as she thought out loud, "I spilled a bottle on the floor… the carpet was soaked… and it forever smelled of peppermint… like you!"  
Maria gasped and decided to go back inside the room as Anya continued, "I used to lie there on the rug, and oh, how I missed you when you went away. When you came here… to Paris."  
In the closet, Sellah gave a soft smile, knowing that her friend was regaining her memories.  
As Anya looked at her necklace, Maria got a glimpse of it and asked with wonder, "What is that necklace around your neck?"  
"This?" Anya asked as she held her necklace up, "Well, I've always had it… for as long as I can remember."  
"May I?" asked the Empress. The redhead smiled and gave her necklace to the Empress. Maria looked at the "Together in Paris" charm and remembered giving her youngest granddaughter (Anastasia) a necklace just like that one, along with a bejeweled music box; ten years ago, Anastasia received those two items, because she didn't want Maria to go back to Paris, but Maria wanted to her granddaughter to remember that she always loved her, and would always be with her. Maybe someday they would be together in Paris? "It was our secret," Maria said softly with tears in her eyes as she studied the necklace, "My Anastasia's and mine." Then she reached into her purse and pulled out the bejeweled box Dmitri had given her.

Inside the closet, Sellah looked on in wonder, while Anya looked at the box and gasped, "The music box! To-to sing me to sleep while you were in Paris…" She then took her necklace and suddenly remembered that it served as key to open the box. Anya hummed a little melody as she turned the key and the box opened to reveal two spinning figures of Czar Nicholas and Czarina Alexandra. "Hear this song and remember," Anya sang softly as the melody played.  
Maria joined in as the box closed slowly, "Soon you'll be home with me… once upon a December…" After the melody ended, Maria and Anya looked at each other with love and happiness, and the Empress gasped, "My Anastasia… my Anastasia!"  
The two women then shared a hug as they cried tears of happiness. Anya, or Anastasia as we know her now, had finally found her family.  
As she happily watched her friend being reunited with her grandmother, Sellah soon felt her nose twitch, and then she accidentally let out a sneeze!

The Empress and Anastasia broke away from their hug and turned to the closet. "My dear, what was that sound?" Maria asked with a raised brow.  
Knowing that she had to face the music sooner or later, Sellah slowly opened the closet door and stepped out; luckily for her, all her Jewish items were still stowed away in her suitcase and jacket pockets. "Your majesty?" the Jewish girl said meekly as she curtsied in her ballet gown, "I… I'm Anya- I mean, Anastasia's friend from Russia."  
"She lived with me at the orphanage and left with me," Anastasia explained, "You see, she… she lost her parents at a young age, and her brothers had to leave her behind until she had enough money to get to America."  
"Oh my," gasped Maria.  
"Yes," Sellah continued with a shy expression, "You see… I-I-I tagged along with Ana…stasia all the way to Paris, and I've decided that I want to find a job here… I'd like to become a dancer."  
Maria looked at Sellah and asked, "What is your name, young lady?"  
"S-Sellah," the Jewish girl answered.  
The Empress smiled at her and said, "Sellah, my dear, I cannot express how grateful I am to you and that young man both." Anastasia frowned a bit when she heard "young man", because she knew it was Dmitri. "As your reward, I want you to become Anastasia's lady-in-waiting, and I will talk to my cousin about your desires of dancing, too."  
"_Spasibo_, your highness," Sellah softly said with tears of happiness. Anastasia grinned happily at her friend. So far, everything was going smooth between her and the Empress.  
Outside the estate, Dmitri saw the scene from a window, and blew kisses before he walked away.


	21. Chapter 21

Meanwhile, at the Gare de Lyon Clock Tower, a familiar undead man was pacing around with excitement while Bartok was sitting on top of a table, reading a newspaper in front of him. Rasputin could hardly wait to kill Anastasia (and perhaps Sellah, too) as he cried out to his albino bat servant, "Bartok! Fetch me a comb! Find some cologne! I want to look my best!"  
"That might take some work, sir!" Bartok said as he jumped up and started looking for what his master wanted.  
"Then snap to it!" Rasputin said, "We are going to a party!"  
"A party in Paris?" Bartok asked with wide eyes.  
"That's right!"  
The bat shot up and started dancing to some music playing down below in the streets. "Oooh, I could teach you all the latest dance steps!" Bartok said as he danced, "It starts with like, a wooh! And then you get really crazy with the hips, sir!" He swung his hips to the rhythm as he finished, "It's fun!"  
"Oh, we'll let the Grand Duchess Anastasia have her moment," Rasputin smirked, ignoring Bartok.  
"Heh – who cares?" the bat said as he kept on dancing.  
"And then we'll KILL HER!" Rasputin sneered.  
"Right, then," Bartok started before the music stopped and he stopped dancing in alarm. "Kill her?" he cried with disbelief, "Sir, what happened to the party idea?"  
"That's where we'll kill her," Rasputin chuckled, "And that dirty Jew, too!" He took the newspaper and growled as he tore it up, "Crush them both at the height of their glory!"  
A picture of Anastasia landed beside Bartok as the bat mumbled, "And we're back to the crushing." He then got onto his knees and pleaded his master, "Sir, I'm begging you – please, PLEEAASE! Forget those girls and get a life!"  
"Oh, I'll get a life, Bartok," Rasputin assured before cackling evilly, "THEIR'S!"

* * *

At Empress Maria's mansion, Anastasia and Sellah were dressed in fancy sleepwear as they sat with Maria in her bed chambers. They all looked at a photograph of the Romanov family, and Sellah told Anastasia, "Wow. They seemed like such nice people."  
"I remember now," Anastasia sighed happily, "How much I loved them."  
"They would not want us to live in the past," Maria said, "Not now that we have found each other." She then pulled out an old drawing and smiled at her granddaughter, "Oh, look! The drawing you gave me – remember?"  
Anastasia chuckled and said, "Yes! Olga made me so mad! She said it looked like a pig riding a donkey! She was right."  
Sellah also giggled and said, "It darn sure DOES look like a pig on a donkey!"  
The Empress laughed and told Anastasia, "When I hear your laughter, I hear your father – my Nicky – laughing." She got up and pulled out a lavish box and opened it up. Inside was a lovely diamond kokoshnik that Alexandra used to wear. Maria came over to the redhead with the large tiara and smiled, "But you have the beauty of your mother, Alexandra – empress of all Russia."  
Maria then placed the kokoshnik on top of Anastasia's head; Anastasia looked at her reflection in a mirror with awe, while Sellah watched. "My goodness, that's beautiful!" Sellah softly gasped with wonder.  
The scene then changed to where Anastasia still had the kokoshnik on her head, but now her hair was done in a high bun, and she was wearing a gold, white, and pink dress with long, open sleeves, a blue sash across her waist, diamond earrings with a matching choker and bracelet, and gold shoes. Anastasia smiled as she twirled around her new outfit as Sophie, Sellah, and a maid watched.  
Sellah was also wearing a new dress; her dress was white and sky blue, with a strap over her shoulders, white elbow-length gloves, silver earrings, a silver necklace with a blue stone, and a blue and white flower headpiece crowning her hair, which was done in a low bun.

The next day, Empress Maria and Dmitri were in Maria's study together, as the Empress was going to give the young man his reward for returning Anastasia to her. "You sent for me, your grace?" Dmitri asked inquisitively; he didn't know why Maria wanted him, especially after what happened the previous night.  
"Ten million rubles," the Empress said as she showed a case full of money, "As promised, with my gratitude."  
Dmitri looked at the money, and then heavily sighed, "I accept your gratitude, your highness. But I can't have the money."  
Maria was surprised, and she asked, "What do you want, then?"  
"Unfortunately, nothing you can give," the young man said with a bow.  
As he started to leave, the Empress was surprised at his answer. "Young man?" she said to Dmitri, stopping him and making him turn around, "Where did you get that music box?" Dmitri didn't answer. "You were the boy, weren't you?" asked Maria, "The servant boy who got us out. You saved her life, and mine. You restored her to me, and yet you want no reward?"  
"Not anymore," answered the young man.  
"Why the change of mind?" asked Maria.  
"It was more of a change of heart," Dmitri said as he bowed to the Empress. He then sighed, "I must go now." Then the young man left the study.

As Dmitri came down a staircase, Anastasia and Sellah saw him. "Well, look who's here," Sellah said with a small frown.  
Anastasia saw the young man and plainly greeted, "Hello, Dmitri."  
"Hello," the young man said.  
"So, did you collect your reward?" Anastasia asked with a stern look; she and Sellah were still a bit mad at him for his deception.  
"My business is complete," Dmitri sighed.  
A manservant approached him and said, "Eh, young man, you will bow and address the princess as 'Your Highness.'"  
"No," said Anastasia, "Please, that won't be nec…"  
"Please, your highness," Dmitri said with a bow, "I'm glad you found what you were looking for."  
"Well, I'm glad you did, too," said the Grand Duchess.  
Dmitri turned to Sellah and motioned for her to give him a side hug. Sellah looked at her royal friend before she decided to go over and give the young man a side hug. "Good luck finding your brothers, Sellah," Dmitri said softly to her.  
"Thanks," Sellah whispered as she broke free from the hug, "I'll keep writing to them every day, and who knows? Maybe they might come and see me?"  
"I wouldn't doubt it," Dmitri grinned. He then turned back to Anastasia, and his smile dropped. "Well, goodbye," he said with a bow, "Your highness." Then he walked away.  
"Goodbye," Anastasia said softly. Her expression became a bit sad as she watched Dmitri leave. Sellah could see her friend looking sad, but then she shook the feeling away, remembering what happened the night before.


	22. Chapter 22

At Sophie's estate, Vladimir was dressing himself up in an elegant navy blue suit with medals and epaulets in honor of Anastasia's coronation ceremony, which would be held at Notre Dame Cathedral later that day. Pooka, who was wearing a medal and a crown, looked at himself in the mirror with confusion, and then shook his head, making the crown fall off. "Oh, you look fabulous!" Vladimir smiled to the puppy. He reached for the medal and asked, "Eh, do you mind?" As he pinned the medal on his uniform, Vlad grinned, "No, of course – you're a wonderful dog!"  
At that moment, Dmitri came in to take his luggage. He looked at his friend and said, "Well, if you're ever in St. Petersburg again, look me up. So long, Vlad."  
The large man gave his friend a hug and said, "Oh, my boy, you're making a mistake."  
"Trust me," Dmitri said, "This is the one thing I'm doing right." As he started to leave, he looked down and saw Pooka following him. "So long, mutt," Dmitri sighed as he scratched the puppy's cold nose. He then patted the dog's head, and Pooka licked his hand; even the puppy didn't want Dmitri to go. "I can't stay," the young man said glumly, "I don't belong here." And in a matter of seconds, Dmitri walked away and was gone.

* * *

That afternoon, at Notre Dame, a large crowd was congregated at the pews to witness Anastasia's coronation at the altar. Sellah was sitting up front, next to Empress Maria, Vladimir, and Sophie; Pooka was patiently and politely sitting in the Jewish girl's lap as Sellah stroked him. As she watched her friend, Sellah's mind wandered off to a dream of being inside a synagogue…  
_In her fantasy, Sellah was wearing the yellow dress that Dmitri had given her, and she was standing inside a large and grand Jewish synagogue. Sellah looked upward and sang:_

I don't know if you can hear me  
Or if you're even there  
I don't know if you would listen  
To a Jewish prayer  
Yes, I know I'm just an outcast  
I shouldn't speak to you  
Still, I see your face and wonder  
Were you once an outcast, too?

_Sellah wandered past a table full of lit menorahs, plates of bread, glasses of wine, scrolls, and prayer shawls. She witnessed men draped in shawls as they prayed._

God help the outcasts  
Hungry from birth  
Show them the mercy  
They don't find on Earth  
God help my people  
We look to you, still  
God help the outcasts  
Or nobody will

_Some people walked slowly over to a stained glass window with a Star of David and the Ten Commandments etched into it. Everyone prayed for what they wanted and lifted their hands up before the window turned back into Notre Dame's North Rose._

_**Jews:**_ I ask for wealth  
I ask for fame  
I ask for glory to shine on my name  
I ask for love I can't possess  
I ask for God and His angels to bless me!

Back at Notre Dame, Sellah was still watching Anastasia's coronation ceremony as her voice kept singing in her head; she was secretly praying that God would protect her and her people.

**Sellah:** _I ask for nothing_  
_That I can get by_  
_But I know so many_  
_Less lucky than I_  
_Please help my people_  
_The poor and down trod_  
_I thought we all were_  
_The children of God_  
_God help the outcasts_  
_The children of God!_

Pooka then nudged Sellah on the hand and licked it; the Jewish girl gave him a sad smile as she stroked his head. Then the two of them looked up and saw Anastasia gallantly holding up an orb in one hand, and scepter in the other hand; everyone in the congregation (including Sellah) stood up to praise the Grand Duchess.


	23. Chapter 23

That evening, a grand ball was held at the Grand Palais in honor of Anastasia's return. As the guests danced about, Anastasia stayed in the green room with Empress Maria and Sellah. The Grand Duchess decided to take a peek form behind the curtain to see if she could find someone.  
"Who are you looking for?" Sellah asked with curiosity.  
"Oh, no one in particular," Anastasia answered with a shrug.  
Maria came over to her and said, "He is not there."  
"Oh, I know he's not," Anastasia started before she turned to see her grandmother, "Who's not there, Grandmamma?"  
"A remarkable young man who found a music box," Maria answered, referring to Dmitri.  
"Oh, him," Sellah answered as she rolled her eyes in annoyance; she was still a bit peeved at him for deceiving her and Anastasia.  
"No, he's probably too busy spending his reward money as fast as he can," the Grand Duchess said, trying to sound annoyed.  
Maria then motioned for the two girls to watch everyone dancing in the ballroom. "Look at them dance," she smiled to Anastasia as she waved to the crowd, "You were born into this world of glistening jewels and fine titles." Pooka the puppy sighed a bored sigh as Maria continued to her granddaughter, "But I wonder if this is what you really want?"  
"Well, of course," said Anastasia, "I found what I was looking for, I found out who I am, and I found you." She looked at her grandmother, who gave her comforting eyes.  
"Are you sure?" Sellah asked with concern, "Something tells me…" She decided to cut herself off and shake the feeling of concern away as she finished, "Oh, never mind." The Jewish girl then decided to go out for a while, so she excused herself and walked off.

The Empress continued comforting her granddaughter as she said, "Yes, you found me. And you will always have me. But is it enough?" She then gave Anastasia a hug as her eyes became moist. Maria then decided to tell her about Dmitri. "My darling," the Empress said softly, "He didn't take the money."  
"He didn't?" Anastasia asked with shock and disbelief.  
"Knowing that you are alive," Maria said to her, "Seeing the woman you have become brings me joy I never thought I could feel again. And that little friend of yours, I see she has stayed with you and been loyal to you all these years."  
"Sellah?" Anastasia softly said, "Of course. She comforted me when I first got to the orphanage, even though I saw she was still grieving for her family, too." She then tearfully smiled at her grandmother before giving her a hug.  
Maria pulled the curtain back; as she and Anya looked at the party guests, the Empress finished to her granddaughter, "Whatever you choose, we will always have each other."  
As she looked at the crowd, Anya heaved a heavy sigh and started to say, "Grandmamma, can't you tell me…?" She turned to look, but Maria was gone.

Meanwhile, Sellah was standing on a balcony overlooking the terrace; she was thinking out loud to herself about her dilemma. "What am I doing?" she asked herself, "I shouldn't be hanging around with Russian royals. If I tell the Empress my last name or my native language, then I'll feel even more ashamed!" Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a green light shining at the Alexander Bridge. "What was that?" Sellah gasped. As she tried to remember where she had last seen green lights, Pooka the dog came onto the balcony, barking frantically.  
"Pooka, what's going on?" Sellah asked as she tried reaching for him. But Pooka was too fast for her; he darted away and went down some stairs towards the garden. "Oh no," Sellah wondered to herself, "I hope this doesn't…"  
Just then, Anastasia came out, looking for Pooka. "Pooka, where are you?" she softly called. She saw the Jewish girl and asked her, "Sellah, have you seen Pooka?"  
"Um, he went down the stairs towards the garden," Sellah answered worriedly.  
"Pooka!" Anastasia softly called as she walked down the steps.  
Sellah came after her and called, "Anastasia!"  
The Grand Duchess stopped and looked at her. "Sellah?" she said.  
"Don't go into that maze that leads to the Alexander Bridge!" Sellah warned, "I saw something green that was flashing, and I think Pooka saw it, too. Please, I'm lying about my identity for you – don't ask me to lie about where you're going!"  
"But Pooka is one of our friends!" Anastasia insisted, "I don't want him to get lost, or even hurt."  
"I don't want YOU to get lost, either!" Sellah said with worry, "Believe me – something is out there that I find suspicious, and possibly dangerous!"  
"Sellah, please, I understand you're worried, but I'm very brave," Anastasia insisted to her friend, even though she did feel her stomach turning in knots, "I'll find Pooka, and we'll be back in a jiffy!" Then she turned and went down the stairs before reaching the terrace.  
"Anastasia, no!" the caramel-haired girl cried. The Grand Duchess ignored her and kept calling for Pooka. Sellah worriedly looked around, and then saw that the train station was not too far away; she picked her skirts up, took off her heels, and then ran as fast as she could down a different set of stairs, hoping to reach the station.  
As she went deeper into the garden, Anastasia called for Pooka, but the dog didn't come. She went through a topiary labyrinth, and the bushes closed up behind her; some topiary animals gave evil, glowing eyes! 

* * *

At the train station, Dmitri was in line to purchase a ticket back to St. Petersburg. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out the rose he received upon arriving in Paris. The young man sniffed the rose and thought to himself as the ticket lady said, "You're next!"  
Just then, a familiar caramel-haired girl in fancy attire came breathlessly running up towards Dmitri. "Di-Dmitri!" Sellah breathed.  
The young man turned around and softly said, "Sellah! What is it?"  
As she caught her breath, Sellah looked at him worriedly and said, "It… it's Anastasia."  
"What's wrong?" Dmitri asked with concern as he stepped out of line, "Is she okay?"  
Sellah then remembered the green light she saw at the Alexander Bridge and said, "I… I think she's in trouble."


End file.
